RSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA   SAN  DIEGO 


1822  02727  9462 


TH  THE  • 


EMPRESS 
DOWAGER 

©OF  CHINAH 


V 


KATHARINE  A.  CARL 


WITH  THE  EMPRESS 
DOWAGER  OF    CHINA 


PORTRAIT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER 

This  is  the  portrait  which  was  exhibited  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition,  is  now  owned 
by  the  United  States  Government,  and  is  in  the  National  Museum  at  Washington 


With  the 

Empress  Dowager 

of  China 


By 


Katharine  A.  Carl 

-    •     U 

Illustrated  by  the  Author 
and  with  Photographs 


New  York 

The  Century  Co. 

1907 


Copyright,  1905,  by 
THE  CENTURY  Co. 


Published  November,  1905, 


TO  SIB  ROBERT  HART 

To  whose  helpful  encouragement  I  owe  so 
much,  I  affectionately  dedicate  this  account 
of  my  experiences  at  the  Court  of  the  coun- 
try he  has  so  long  and  faithfully  served. 

KATHARINE  A.  CARL. 

New  York,  May,  1905. 


Contents 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I.    MY  PRESENTATION  AND  FIRST  DAY 

AT  THE  CHINESE  COURT 3 

Drive  Out  to  the  Summer  Palace— Presentation— Be- 
ginning the  Portrait— Luncheon— The  Palace  Theater 
—My  Pavilion  within  the  Precincts. 

CHAPTER  II.    PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  OP  HER 

MAJESTY— A  CHINESE  REPAST— BOATING  .    18 

Second  Sitting— The  Siesta— Her  Majesty's  Barge— A 
Promenade  on  the  Lake. 

CHAPTER  III.    THE  PALACE  OF  THE  EMPEROR'S 

FATHER 27 

A  Chinese  Palace— Gardens— The  Chinese  Poem- 
Tombstones  of  Pets — The  Highway  from  Peking  to 
the  Summer  Palace — Chinese  Modes  of  Locomotion 
—The  Seventh  Prince. 

CHAPTER  IV.    HER  MAJESTY'S  THRONE-ROOM     .    34 

Clocks— Third  Sitting— A  Promenade  in  the  Gar- 
dens— The  Orchard — The  Empress  Dowager's  Love 
of  Flowers— Customs  as  to  Fruits  and  Flowers. 

CHAPTER  V.    THE  YOUNG  EMPRESS  AND  LADIES 

OF  THE  COURT 42 

The  Young  Empress— The  Secondary  Wife— The 
Princesses— Children  by  Adoption— Chinese  Widows 

vii 


Contents 

PAGE 

—The  Princess  Imperial— The  Relationships  of  the 
Princesses  of  the  Blood — The  Maids  and  Tiring- 
women — Women  of  the  Eighth  Banner — The  Chinese 
Woman  at  Court — Slaves. 

CHAPTER  VI.    CONTINUATION  OP  THE  PORTRAIT    50 

Advantages  and  Disadvantages  of  Painting  in  the 
Throne-room — The  Empress  Dowager's  Voice — Chinese 
Opinion  as  to  Portraits  of  Royalty— Walks  with  Her 
Majesty— Her  Dogs— Their  Pavilions— Cats— The  Em- 
press Dowager's  Gift  of  "Me-lah." 

CHAPTER  VII.    FESTIVITIES  AT  COURT  ....    57 

The  Celebration  of  His  Majesty's  Birthday— Invita- 
tion from  the  Empress  Dowager  to  be  Present— Birth- 
day Plays — The  Imperial  Actors — Birthday  Decora- 
tions of  the  Palace  Courts  and  Buildings — Presents — 
First  Gala  Performance— Luncheon  in  the  Court  of  the 
Theater— The  Mat-sheds  at  the  Palace— Visitors— Chi- 
nese Courtesy — The  Imperial  Theater  at  Summer  Pal- 
ace— Actresses — Customs  of  Manchu  Women. 

CHAPTER  VIII.    His  MAJESTY  THE  EMPEROR  .    .    64 

Beginning  of  his  Reign — The  Name  of  an  Emperor — 
The  Manchu  Dynasty— Personality  of  the  Emperor- 
Appearance — His  Orientalism — His  Dreams  of  Prog- 
ress— His  Edicts — Despatches — The  Emperor's  Pal- 
ace and  Attendants— His  Studies  and  Talents— Early 
Rising— His  Meals— Conventionalities  Observed — 
Dislike  of  Public  Functions. 

CHAPTER  IX.    THE  EMPEROR'S  BIRTHDAY  ...    73 

Morning  Salutations — His  Majesty's  Throne-room — 
The  Imperial  Pearl — Buttons  Denoting  Rank  of  Offi- 
cials—Manchu  Buttons— '  'Lever"  of  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager—Court Costume— Young  Empress  in  Court  Attire 
— Going  in  State  to  Audience  Hall — Official  Congratu- 
lation by  High  Officials  and  Princes— The  Young  Em- 
press's Palace— Presentation  of  Jade  Emblem  (Ruyie) 
—Young  Empress's  Official  Congratulation  to  the 
Emperor — Simplicity  of  Attire  of  Empress  Dowager 
— Grand  Theatrical  Representation  at  Palace  Thea- 
ter—Imperial Congratulatory  Poem— Splendid  Cos- 

viii 


Contents 

PAGE 

tumes— Luncheon  in  the  Court  of  the  Theater— Chil- 
dren at  Court — The  Emperor's  Presents  to  the  Manchu 
Nobles  and  High  Officials — The  Finale  at  the  Theater 
— Spectacular  Procession — Thanks  of  the  Princes  and 
Nobles— Bowing  to  the  "Great  Ancestress"— The 
Procession  to  the  Hall  of  Ancestral  Tablets. 

CHAPTER  X.    PEKING— THE  SEA  PALACE  ...    87 

His  Majesty's  Sacrifice  to  his  Ancestors— The  Empress 
Dowager's  Favorite  Summer-house — The  Sacred  Pic- 
ture— The  United  States  Legation  at  Peking — Mrs. 
Conger's  Relations  with  Chinese  Ladies— The  Sea 
Palace— The  Boats  of  the  Lake— Our  Resting-place  at 
the  Sea  Palace — Promenade  on  the  Lake — The  Eunuch 
Li-Wun-ti  —  Memory  —  Story-telling  —  The  Island  — 
Temple  Gardens— Two  Temples— Cathedral  within 
the  Precincts— Theater. 

CHAPTER  XL  SOME  CHARACTERISTICS  OP  HER 
MAJESTY  —  SECOND  VISIT  TO  THE  SEA 
PALACE 100 

The  Empress  Dowager's  Magnetic  Personality— Inter- 
esting Study — Her  Chinese  Appellations — Hall  of  Mon- 
golian Princes — Dragon  Wall — Fruits  Sent  to  the 
Palace— Repast  at  the  Sea  Palace— Promenade  in  the 
Train  of  Her  Majesty— The  Imperial  Gourds— A  Prom- 
enade in  the  Rain— Rest  in  Hall  of  Mongolian  Princes 
—Archery  in  China— The  Sunset  Call. 

CHAPTER  XII.    RETURN  TO  THE  SUMMER  PALACE  111 

The  Empress  Dowager  as  a  Psychological  Study— See- 
ing Her  Face  to  Face — Work  on  Portrait  Resumed — 
Easels  and  Cases  for  Materials  for  Work  on  Sacred 
Picture— Walks— Refreshments  for  the  Promenades- 
Imperial  Tea— The  Empress  Dowager's  Tea  and  Tea- 
cups—Her Deftness  with  her  Fingers— Her  Thought- 
fulness. 

CHAPTER  XIII.  THE  STEAM-LAUNCH— SEMI-AN- 
NUAL SACRIFICES  TO  CONFUCIUS  ....  117 

Chinese  Tolerance  in  Religious  Matters— Halls  of  Con- 
fucius—The Odes  to  Peace— Burning  the  Offerings. 

ix 


Contents 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIV.    THE  PALACE  EUNUCHS     .    .    .  123 

Their  Grades— The  Chief  Eunuchs — Li  Lien  Ying— 
His  Power  with  the  Courtiers — "L'Eminence  Grise" 
of  the  Court — The  Shut-in  Position  of  Chinese  Im- 
perial Rulers — Need  of  an  Unofficial  Messenger— Per- 
sonal Appearance  of  Li  Lien  Ying— Sui,  Her  Majesty's 
Second  Eunuch — Punishment  of  Eunuchs — Pupils — 
OpiumSmoking — Pets — Good  Manners  of  the  Eunuchs. 

CHAPTER  XV.    LITERARY  TASTES  AND  ACCOM- 
PLISHMENTS OF  THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER  .  130 

The  Empress  of  the  Eastern  Palace — Co-Regency — Her 
Majesty's  Literary  Tastes — Her  Love  of  Heroic  Poems 
—Her  Memory— The  Chinese  Joan  of  Arc— The  Em- 
press, Widow  of  Tung-Chih — The  Empress  Dowager's 
Reader  and  her  Favorite  Authors — Her  Love  of  the 
Theater — Her  Humor— A  Great  Stickler  for  Purity  of 
Language — Li-Hung-Chang's  Chinese — How  the  Em- 
press Dowager  Speaks  It — Her  Writing  of  the  Great 
Characters — The  Chinese  Written  Character— Paint- 
ing—Embroidery— Her  Designs  for  Floral  Decora- 
tions— Cultivation  of  her  Person— The  Empress 
Dowager  an  Epicure — Her  Soaps  and  Perfumes — Her 
Personal  Magnetism  as  a  Power  over  Animals — 
The  Escaped  Bird— The  Katydid. 

CHAPTER  XVI.    THE  GREAT  AUDIENCE  HALL    .  142 

Hours  of  the  Audiences — The  Audience  Hall  at  Sum- 
mer Palace— Its  Interior— Ancient  and  Modern 
Thrones  and  Dais — Audiences  of  Heads  of  Depart- 
ments— The  Grand  Council — Official  Despatches  — 
Telegrams — The  Cushions  for  Members  of  the  Grand 
Council— Special  Audiences— The  Introducing  Eunuch 
— Amusing  Subterfuge  of  Officials  at  Audience — The 
Young  Emperor  and  Tiresome  Official — Sacred  Quality 
of  the  Imperial  Person— Mode  of  Address  of  Courtiers 
—The  Kow-tow. 

CHAPTER  XVII.    THE  SUMMER  PALACE      .    .    .  149 

The  Empress  Dowager's  Favorite  Palace— The  Marble 
Terrace— The  Hills  of  the  Summer  Palace— The  Tem- 
ple of  the  Ten  Thousand  Buddhas— Memorial  Arches 
—The  Marble  Bridge— The  Canals— Camel-back 


Contents 


Bridges— Chinese  Architecture— Utilitarian  Spirit  of 
the  Chinese— Flowers  and  Fields  in  the  Park  of  Sum- 
mer Palace— Grand  Peony  Mountain — The  Sacred 
Buddha-Temple  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Buddhas— Ruins 
of  Old  Summer  Palace —Views  from  the  Summer  Palace 
Belvederes— When  Their  Majesties  Go  Abroad. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.    FESTIVAL  OF  THE  HARVEST 

MOON 156 

The  Chinese  Love  of  Festivals — The  Fruit  of  Immor- 
tality—The Little  Handmaiden  and  her  White  Rab- 
bit—The Play  at  the  Palace  Theater  on  the  Mid- 
Autumn  Festival — Dinner  in  the  Imperial  Loge — 
Procession  to  the  Moonlit  Terrace— Floral  Pai-lou 
to  the  Moon— "Bowing"  to  the  Moon— The  Poem 
to  the  Moon— The  Burnt-Offering — Return  to  the 
Palace  on  the  Moonlit  Lake — Continuation  of  the 
Portrait— Some  Disadvantages  of  Too  Much  Pleasure 
— Hospitality  of  the  Empress  Dowager — Chinese  Con- 
ventions and  Traditions — Wonderful  Opportunities  for 
Picturesqueness  in  Painting  the  Empress  Dowager 
—Restrictions  Imposed  by  Chinese  Tradition— First 
Exhibition  of  the  "Sacred  Picture  "—Description  of 
First  Portrait  of  the  Empress  Dowager—  How  I  Should 
Have  Liked  to  Paint  Her. 

CHAPTER  XIX.  A  GARDEN  PARTY 165 

Reception  to  the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  Ladies  of  the 
Legation— The  Ceremony  of  Reception  of  the  Ladies 
—The  Empress  Dowager's  Cordiality— Taking  Tea  in 
the  Audience  Hall — Luncheon  in  the  Throne-room — 
Promenade  on  the  Lake — Visit  to  the  Palace  and  Tem- 
ple on  the  Island— The  Marble  Boat— Lack  of  Harmony 
among  the  Guests  at  Garden  Party — Chinese  Com- 
ment on  our  Costumes  and  Appearance — Dislike  of 
Blonde  Hair. 

CHAPTER    XX.    BEGINNING   A     SECOND    POR- 
TRAIT OP  THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER    .    .    .  171 

Putting  the  Characters  Representing  Her  Majesty's 
Titles  and  her  Two  Seals  on  the  Portrait — Beginning 
the  Small  Portrait— Toilette  d'IntimitS— "Hailo"and 
"'Shadza  "— The  Palace  Painters— Their  Manner  of 
Working— New  Variety  of  Chrysanthemum— The 

xi 


Contents 

PAGE 

"  Peafowl  Feather  "—The  Audience  Hall  Pianos— Her 
Majesty's  Ideas  of  Dancing. 

CHAPTER  XXI.  A  EUROPEAN  CIRCUS  AT  THE 

PALACE 178 

The  Posters— Sites  for  the  Eing— The  Turnip  Field— 
Their  Majesties  Go  in  State  across  the  Lake— The 
House-boats— The  Young  Empress's  State  Boat— The 
Imperial  Loges  at  the  Circus — Invited  Officials — 
Bands  of  Music — A  Glimpse  of  the  Manchu  Princes 
and  Some  High  Officials— The  Son  of  the  Imperial 
Princess— The  Opera  Glasses  of  Their  Majesties— 
What  Interested  Them  Most. 

CHAPTER  XXII.    PALACE  CUSTOMS   .    .    .    .    .  185 

Early  Rising— When  the  Empress  Dowager  Sleeps— 
Her  Bedroom— Irregular  Hours  except  for  the  Au- 
dience—Domestic Duties— Her  Favorite  Game— Her 
Luck — Her  Meals — Conventions  Observed  at  the  Em- 
press Dowager's  Table — Her  Dishes — The  Hour  of  the 
Siesta— Her  Promenades— The  Days  of  the  Theater— 
When  Their  Majesties  Dine  Together — Rigorous  Ob- 
servance of  Fasts  at  the  Table  of  the  Empress 
Dowager— Court  Etiquette— The  Graceful  Bow— Rigid 
Observance  of  Court  Customs— Her  Majesty's  Re- 
proof of  Too  Indulgent  Mother. 

CHAPTER   XXIII.    HER  MAJESTY'S   ANXIETY— 

HER  BIRTHDAY 194 

Her  Anxiety— Exterior  and  Interior  Troubles— Prep- 
arations for  Her  Majesty's  Birthday— Her  Desire  to 
Have  Everything  as  Simple  as  Possible  and  to  Spare 
Expense — The  Emperor's  Wish  to  Celebrate  with  the 
Usual  Pomp,  and  Desire  to  Bestow  a  New  Title  upon 
the  Empress  Dowager— Difference  of  Her  Majesty's 
Interest  in  her  Own  and  the  Emperor's  Birthday — 
When  She  Received  the  Congratulations — Early  Hour 
of  Congratulation— The  Interior  of  the  Throne-room 
and  Decorations  for  the  Birthday— Winter  Court  Dress 
of  the  Ladies— The  Empress  Dowager's  Fatigue. 

CHAPTER  XXIV.    THE  WINTER  PALACE    .    .    .200 

The  Empress  Dowager's  Love  of  the  Summer  Palace 
—Return,  to  Peking— Young  Empress  and  Ladies  Pre- 

xii 


Contents 


PAGE 

cede  and  Receive  Her  on  the  Threshold  of  her  Own 
Throne-room— City  of  Peking,  the  Palace  within  the 
Forbidden  City— Its  many  Walls  within  Walls — The 
Guard  Houses — The  Ceremony  of  Reception — The 
Throne-room  of  the  Winter  Palace— The  Interior 
Dome — Her  Majesty's  Sitting-room— Private  Chapel 
— Portraits  of  Queen  Victoria — The  Three  Great  Halls 
—The  Spirit-Stairway— The  Central  Hall— Presents 
from  European  Royalties— Where  I  was  to  Paint— 
The  Emperor's  Precincts— Tradition  at  the  Winter 
Palace. 

CHAPTER  XXV.    PEKING— BEGINNING  THE  POR- 
TRAIT FOR  ST.  Louis 21) 

Legation  Quarter — Morning  Ride  to  the  Palace — Splen- 
did Walls  of  the  Palace  and  City— The  Streets  in  the 
Forbidden  City— A  Funeral— The  Mongolians— Beg- 
gars at  the  Gate — Unsatisfactoriness  of  Studio  at 
Winter  Palace — Her  Majesty  Orders  It  Remodeled — 
Beginning  Portrait  for  St.  Louis— Imperial  Parapher- 
nalia and  Insignia  of  Royalty — Importance  of  Pro- 
priety— The  Throne — Her  Majesty's  Costume  for  the 
Portrait — Pearl  Mantle— First  Sketch — Stretchingthe 
Great  Canvas. 

CHAPTER  XXVI.    SOME  SOCIAL  CUSTOMS  .    .    .  219 

Manchu  Ladies  of  the  Palace— Presentation,  on  Their 
Marriage,  of  Manchu  Noblewomen — Bridal  Costume 
— Sedan  Chairs — By  Whom  Bride  is  Presented — The 
Young  Empress's  Graciousness— A  Daughter  in  a 
Manchu  Family — Comparison  of  Manchu  and  Amer- 
ican Girl — The  Unmarried  Daughter  of  the  Manchus 
—Her  Position  in  the  Family— Social  Qualities— The 
Manchu  Men— Sports— Costume— Young  Dandies- 
Concubinage— Early  Marriages  of  Men— Secondary 
Wives  —  The  Family —  Secondary  Wives  of  an  Em- 
peror—Their Rank— Position  in  the  Palace— Title. 

CHAPTER  XXVII.    PRESENT-GIVING 230 

The  Palace  as  the  Heart  of  Empire— Occasions  on 
which  Presents  are  Given  (Private,  Official,  and  Fes- 
tivals)— Style  of  Presents  Given  by  the  Empress 
Dowager— Presents  to  the  Ladies  of  Legation— Birth- 
day Presents— Some  Presents  Received  by  Me  from 
Her  Majesty, 

xiii 


Contents 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.   SOME  WINTER  DAYS  AT  THE 

PALACE .  237 

The  Portrait  for  America — Details  and  Accessories  of 
the  Same— Days  at  the  Palace— The  Meals  in  Winter 
— Winter  Evenings — Learning  Chinese — Occupations 
of  the  Ladies— The  Young  Empress's  Birthday— 
Days  of  Mourning  at  the  Palace — Anniversary  of 
Death  of  the  Emperor  Tung-Chih— The  Empress 
Dowager's  Sorrow. 

CHAPTER  XXIX.    RELIGIOUS  RITES 245 

The  Three  Great  Religions— The  Temple  of  Heaven— 
The  Emperor  as  High  Priest — Preparations  for  the 
Sacrifice  to  Heaven— Buddhism  and  Taoism— Confu- 
cius—Origin  of  Chinese  Religious  Ceremonies— Vital- 
ity of  China  as  a  Nation— Its  Amalgamation  of  Con- 
quering Races— The  Manchus — Some  Nature  Worship 
— The  Festival  of  the  Awakening  of  Spring  at  the 
Palace— Guardians  of  the  Cocoons. 

CHAPTER  XXX.    HER  MAJESTY  THE  EMPRESS 

DOWAGER 253 

Her  Family— Presentation  at  Court— Fifth  Wife  of  the 
Emperor  Hsien-Feng— Favorite  of  Empress  Mother  and 
First  Wife— Birth  of  a  Son— Death  of  Emperor  Hsien- 
Feng — Empress  of  Western  Palace — Co-Regents  for 
Young  Emperor  Tung-Chih— Friendliness  of  the  Two 
Co-Regents — State  of  China  at  Beginning  of  Regency — 
Intrigue — The  Anti-foreign  Princes— Prince  Kung — 
First  Political  Act  of  Young  Empress  of  Western  Pal- 
ace— Supportof  the  Princes  of  theBlood — The  Emperor 
Tung-Chih  Begins  to  Reign— Death  of  Tung-Chih— Re- 
sumption of  the  Regency  by  the  Empress  Dowager — 
Minority  of  Kwang-Hsu — Death  of  Empress  of  East- 
ern Palace — Policy  of  Empress  Dowager — The  Em- 
seror  Kwang-Hsu  Begins  to  Reign— His  Policy— The 
7ar  with  Japan— Change  of  Policy  by  the  Emperor— 
The  Progress  Party— The  Ultra-Conservatives— Return 
from  Retirement  of  the  Empress  Dowager — The  Em- 
peror's Edict — So-called  Coup  d'Etat — Rout  of  Prog- 
ress Party— Punishment  of  Ringleaders — Effect  on  the 
Emperor— Reign  of  Emperor  "  Assisted  "  by  Empress 
Dowager— The  Secret  Society  of  the  Boxers— Its 
Growth— Boxers  in  the  Capital— Boxers  among  the 

xiv 


Contents 

PAGE 

Princes  of  the  Blood— The  Outbreak  in  Peking- 
Reported  Cause  of  Outbreak— The  Emperor  and  Em- 
press Dowager's  Attempt  to  Check  Movement— The  Im- 
perial Military  Forces— Position  of  Legation  Quarter 
in  Peking— British  Legation— Eeturn  of  Their  Maj- 
esties to  Peking — Edicts  Issued — Arrival  of  Allies 
in  Peking — Flight  of  Her  Majesty  and  the  Court — 
The  Route  to  Singan-Fu  —  Hardships  Endured— 
Incidents. 


CHAPTER  XXXI.    HER  MAJESTY  THE  EMPRESS 

DOWAGER  (Continued) 270 

Her  Charities— Incident  of  the  Boxer  Rising— Widows' 
Petition  to  the  Empress  Dowager— Her  Majesty's 
Action  thereon — Her  Extravagance— Extravagance  in 
the  Palace — Efforts  of  Past  Emperors  for  Economy — 
Cost  of  Food  in  the  Palace— Her  Majesty's  Personal 
Extravagance— Her  Jewels — Wardrobe— Examples  of 
Her  Economy — Her  Patriotism — Scheme  of  Taxation — 
Her  Penetration— Her  Judgment— Her  Prejudices- 
Sarcasm— Her  Determination— Tact— Social  Instinct 
— Reception  of  Young  German  Prince. 

CHAPTER  XXXII.    THE  CHINESE  NEW  YEAR      .  279 

Greatest  Festival  of  the  Year — Decorations  of  the  Pal- 
ace—Imitation Money— New  Year's  Presents— Work 
on  Portrait— Some  Changes— Removal  of  the  Court  to 
Sea  Palace  —  My  Studio  at  Sea  Palace  —  New  Year's 
Audience  of  Ladies  of  the  Legation  —  Congratulations 
—  Lantern  Festival  —  The  Illuminated  Procession  — 
The  Double  Dragon  —  The  Flaming  Pearl — Fireworks 
in  the  Palace  —  Day  Rockets  —  Old  Customs  as  to  the 
Fireworks  in  the  Palace  Grounds. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII.    CONTINUATION  OF  THE  ST. 

Louis  PORTRAIT 287 

Propitious  Date  for  Finishing  it — Changing  Orna- 
ments—  Frame  for  Portrait  —  Spring  Days — Her 
Majesty's  Walks  —  Inspecting  the  New  Buildings  — 
The  Jinrikisha  —  The  Miniature  Railway — Her 
Majesty's  Automobiles — Kite  Flying — His  Majesty 
the  Emperor  Plows  and  Sows  the  Seed  of  a  Furrow. 

XV 


Contents 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.    FINISHING  AND  SENDING  OFF 

THE  PORTRAIT 294 

Nineteenth  Day  of  April  —  Invitations  to  Ladies  of  the 
Legation  to  see  the  Portrait  —  Visit  of  the  Ladies  to 
the  Palace —  The  Portrait  —  Princes  and  Nobles  see 
the  "  Sacred  Picture" — Attempt  to  Photograph — Por- 
trait taken  to  Wai-Wu-Pu  —  Visit  of  Corps  Diplo- 
matique—  Packing  the  Portrait  —  Special  Eailway 
built  from  Foreign  Office  to  Railway  Station  —  De- 
parture of  Picture — En  route — Tientsin — Shanghai — 
Embarkation  for  San  Francisco  —  Reception  by  Prince 
Pu  L'un  and  Imperial  Commission  at  St.  Louis  —  Un- 
veiling the  Portrait  —  Placing  the  Portrait  in  the  Gal- 
lery of  Fine  Arts  —  Arrival  at  Washington  —  Pres- 
entation to  the  Government. 

CHAPTER  XXXV.      RETURN   TO   THE  SUMMER 

PALACE 300 

Return  to  the  Summer  Palace — The  Palace  of  the 
Emperor's  Father  in  Spring — The  Grounds  of  the 
Summer  Palace  —  The  Studio  — At  Work  Again  —  The 
Theater  —  His  Majesty's  Theater  Program  —  Work  of 
the  Vermilion  Pencil  —  His  Majesty's  Interest  in  the 
Russo-Japanese  War  —  Spring  Garden  Party  to  the 
Ladies  of  the  Legation  —  Another  large  Portrait  of 
Her  Majesty  —  Showing  it  to  the  Ladies  —  Her  Maj- 
esty's Desire  for  Highly  Finished  Detail  —  Her  De- 
light in  her  New  Hobby  —  Final  Days. 


XVI 


List  of  Illustrations 

Portrait  of  the  Empress  Dowager Frontispiece 

FACING  PAOB 

The  Empress  and  the  Ladies  of  the  Court  in  the  Imperial 
Barge 24 

Princesses  of  the  Court 40 

The  Young  Empress  Ye-Ho-Na-Lah 44 

At  the  American  Legation,  Peking 88 

Chinese  Architecture 104 

On  the  Road  from  Peking  to  the  Summer  Palace  ....  112 
The  Empress  Dowager  Writing  a  "  Great  Character  "  .  .  136 
The  Empress  Dowager  in  the  Gardens  of  the  Summer  Palace  140 

The  Official  Audience  of  Their  Majesties 146 

Old  Euins  in  the  Summer  Palace 152 

The  Secondary  Wife  of  the  Emperor 168 

Pailou  in  the  Grounds  of   the  Summer  Palace  —  on  the 

Shore  of  the  Lake 176 

Princesses  of  the  Court 188 

Court  in  the  Winter  Palace  — "Her  Majesty  Comes"  .     .     .  204 

xvii 


List  of  Illustrations 

FACING  PAGE 

Confucian  Temple— "Spirit  Stairway"  in  Central  Flight 

of  Steps 208 

Prince  Ching 216 

The  Author  in  Chinese  Costume 234 

Temple  of  Heaven  —  Peking 246 

Altar  to  the  Invisible  Deity 250 

Slave  Girls  . 280 

The  Portrait  of  the  Empress  Dowager  in  its  Frame   .     .     .  304 


XVtlt 


INTRODUCTORY 

IN  April,  1903,  while  I  was  visiting  in  Shanghai,  I 
received  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Conger,  wife  of  the 
Minister  of  the  United  States  to  Peking,  in  which  she 
said  there  was  a  question  of  Her  Majesty  the  Empress 
Dowager's  having  her  portrait  painted,  and  asking  me 
if  such  a  thing  should  be  arranged  would  I  be  willing 
to  come  to  Peking  and  undertake  it.  Mrs.  Conger 
hoped,  if  the  project  should  materialize,  that  Her 
Majesty  might  later  consent  to  send  the  portrait  to 
the  Exposition  at  St.  Louis.  She  thought  such  a  por- 
trait would  be  of  great  interest  to  the  American  peo- 
ple and  might  prove  an  attractive  feature  to  the 
Exposition,  in  which  she  and  Mr.  Conger  were,  natur- 
ally, much  interested.  She  also  felt,  as  she  had  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  a  good  deal  of  the  Empress 
Dowager,  that  if  the  world  could  see  a  true  likeness  of 
her,  it  might  modify  the  generally  accepted  idea 
which  prevailed  as  to  Her  Majesty's  character. 

I  answered  Mrs.  Conger's  letter,  saying  I  should  be 
delighted  to  undertake  the  work,  should  it  be  decided 
upon,  and  I  awaited  further  developments.  The  idea 
of  sitting  for  her  portrait  met  with  Her  Majesty's 
approval,  and  she  said  she  would  arrange  an  Audience 
and  set  a  day  for  beginning.  But  the  "mills  of"— 

xix 


Introductory 


Chinese  Officialdom  "grind  slowly,"  and  not  until 
July  did  Mrs.  Conger  receive  an  official  notification 
from  the  Wai-Wu-Pu  (Chinese  Foreign  Office)  request- 
ing "Her  Excellency  Mrs.  Conger  to  present  the 
American  artist,  Miss  Carl,  to  Her  Imperial  Majesty 
on  the  fifth  day  of  August,  for  the  purpose  of  paint- 
ing a  portrait  of  Her  Majesty."  Mrs.  Conger  imme- 
diately informed  me  of  the  reception  of  this  docu- 
ment, and  I  left  Shanghai  for  Peking  on  the  29th  of 
July.  I  was  cordially  received,  on  my  arrival  in  Pe- 
king, by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conger  at  the  American  Lega- 
tion, and  on  the  fifth  of  August  was  presented  by 
Mrs.  Conger  to  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 
at  the  Summer  Palace  in  private  Audience. 

As  it  was  a  great  innovation  in  Chinese  customs  and 
a  breaking  away  from  long-established  tradition  for  an 
Imperial  portrait  to  be  painted,  there  was  no  precedent 
to  follow  and  all  arrangements  were  of  the  vaguest 
kind ;  and  when  I  went  into  the  Palace  for  my  first 
Audience,  I  did  not  know  whether  I  would  have  one 
sitting  or  ten,  and  no  one  else  seemed  to  have  any 
more  definite  information.  All  was  uncertainty. 
Everything  depended  upon  Her  Majesty's  inclination, 
and  future  developments  must  be  awaited.  I  felt 
that  I  was  really  going  into  the  Palace  on  trial  and 
that  my  reception  and  the  work  depended  upon  the 
fantasy  and  whims  of  a  great  Personage  from  whom, 
according  to  current  reports,  I  had  but  little  to  ex- 
pect. On  the  day  of  my  first  Audience,  I  was  told  at 
the  Foreign  Office  that  Her  Majesty  was  to  give  me 
but  one  sitting,  hence  it  was  not  in  a  very  tranquil 
state  of  mind  that  I  went  up  to  be  presented  to  the 

xx 


Introductory 


Great  Empress  Dowager,  Tze-Shi !  But  all  this  was 
changed  when  I  saw  her.  She  received  me  kindly, 
was  very  gracious.  A  Palace  was  set  aside  for  me, 
and  every  facility  afforded  me  for  my  work :  during 
my  sojourn  at  the  Chinese  Court  I  painted  not  only 
the  portrait  for  the  Exposition  at  St.  Louis,  but  three 
others  of  Her  Majesty. 

Unique  as  my  experiences  at  the  different  Palaces 
of  Their  Celestial  Majesties  were,  I  concluded,  after 
I  had  lived  at  Court  for  a  few  months,  I  would  never 
make  these  experiences  public.  The  Empress  Dowa- 
ger received  me  in  so  friendly  a  manner,  I  met  with 
such  consideration  at  her  hands  and  such  unfailing 
courtesy  from  all  with  whom  I  came  in  contact,  I  felt 
I  should  requite  this  kindness  by  an  equal  consider- 
ation, and  that  it  was  my  duty  to  respect  Chinese 
prejudices  and  conform  to  their  ideas  of  "  Propriety  " 
by  refraining  from  any  relation  of  my  charming 
experiences. 

After  I  returned  to  America,  I  was  constantly  see- 
ing in  newspapers  (and  hearing  of)  statements  ascribed 
to  me  which  I  never  made.  Her  Majesty  was  repre- 
sented as  having  stood  over  me  in  threatening  atti- 
tudes, forcing  me  to  represent  her  as  a  young  and 
beautiful  woman !  It  was  reported  that  she  refused 
to  give  me  any  compensation  for  the  portraits,  and  a 
number  of  other  statements,  equally  false,  were  daily 
appearing  in  the  papers.  The  London  "  Times,"  in 
speaking  of  the  Empress  Dowager,  said:  "Some  one 
has  said  '  she  has  the  soul  of  a  tiger  in  the  body  of  a 
woman,'  and  Miss  Carl  found  the  old  lady  shrewd  and 
tempestuous."  The  latter  statement,  which  I  never 

xxi 


Introductory 


made,  seemed  to  me  enough  to  have  on  my  shoulders, 
but  the  article  was  copied  in  American  papers  and  I 
Was  put  down  as  the  author  of  the  first,  as  well  as  of 
the  second  statement.  The  power  of  the  Press  has 
become  such  that  it  cannot  be  ignored.  It  is  of  no 
avail  to  say  nothing  in  such  a  case  as  mine ;  when  you 
do  this,  words  are  put  into  your  mouth  and  sentiments 
ascribed  to  you  at  the  will  of  the  newsmongers.  If 
a  correction  be  made,  it  never  seems  to  get  the  same 
circulation  or  publicity  as  the  first  statement.  These 
erroneous  statements  continue  to  appear,  and  I  have 
finally  decided  that,  in  justice  to  my  August  Patroness 
as  well  as  to  my  humbler  self,  it  is  incumbent  upon 
me  to  correct  them,  and  it  seems  to  me  the  only 
proper  way  to  do  so  is  to  write  a  full  and  true  relation 
of  my  life  at  the  Palace  and  my  experiences  while 
painting  the  portraits  of  Her  Majesty  the  Empress 
Dowager. 

I  know  I  publish  this  account  at  the  risk  of  offend- 
ing the  sensibilities  of  my  Chinese  friends,  for  many 
of  them  will  never  know  what  called  it  forth.  I  know 
that  by  so  doing  I  may  change  any  favorable  opinion 
they  may  have  formed  as  to  my  good-breeding  and 
discretion.  I  was  on  sufficiently  intimate  terms  with 
Her  Majesty  and  the  Ladies  of  the  Court  to  know  that 
this  account  will  be  looked  upon  by  them  as  an  "  in- 
discretion," to  say  the  least  of  it. 

In  this  story  of  my  life  at  the  Palace,  I  must  natu- 
rally give  some  description  of  Their  Majesties  and 
necessarily  make  some  comment  upon  their  characters. 
In  doing  this,  I  will  transgress  another  long-established 
rule  of  Chinese  Propriety,  which  makes  any  comment, 

xxii 


Introductory 


favorable  or  unfavorable,  upon  the  Sacred  Persons  of 
Their  Majesties,  a  breach  of  etiquette.  No  act  of 
theirs  is  ever  criticized,  no  report  in  reference  to 
them  is  ever  explained,  no  slander  about  them  is  ever 
refuted  by  loyal  Chinese,  and  the  generality  of  Chinese 
are  loyal.  Thus  the  falsest  statements,  not  being  re- 
futed by  those  in  a  position  to  know,  gain  in  credence 
until  they  are  reported  as  facts. 

If  my  comment  on  Their  Majesties  and  discussion 
of  their  acts  be  favorable,  this  will  be  no  palliation 
from  the  Chinese  standpoint.  Any  sort  of  comment 
will  be  looked  upon  as  a  breach  of  hospitality.  I  have 
absolutely  nothing  to  gain,  should  I  suppress  any  dis- 
agreeable facts  I  may  have  learned  as  to  Her  Majesty. 
Should  I  be  willing  to  sacrifice  the  truth,  in  order  to 
please  my  Chinese  friends,  this  would  avail  me  no- 
thing, for  should  my  account  of  Her  Majesty  be  con- 
strued by  them  into  an  apology  for  her,  I  would  be 
considered  most  presumptuous  and  the  enormity  of 
my  offense  aggravated.  Thus  I  am  between  two  fires. 
Those  who  read  my  account  may  imagine  I  am  trying 
to  justify  Her  Majesty  and  thereby  gain  her  favor; 
and  should  the  Chinese  put  this  construction  on  it,  my 
indiscretion  will  become  an  offense.  Knowing  all 
this,  and  with  the  memory  of  the  charming  considera- 
tion I  received  at  the  Chinese  Court,  I  nevertheless 
feel  it  is  my  duty  to  publish  a  simple  and  truthful 
narrative  of  my  experiences,  and  I  hope  I  may  be  par- 
doned for  thus  breaking  Chinese  conventions. 

The  Boxer  rebellion  was  a  frequent  topic  of  conver- 
sation at  the  Palace  and  I  heard  a  great  deal  about  it 
from  the  Ladies  of  the  Court.  It  was  not  considered 

xxiii 


Introductory 


at  all  indiscreet  to  ask  questions  on  this  subject,  and 
I  did  not  hesitate  to  inform  myself  by  asking  about 
things  I  wished  to  know.  If  it  be  true,  as  the  philoso- 
phers say,  that  "  the  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man 
under  his  own  environment,"  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
studying  Her  Majesty  on  the  right  principles.  My 
account  of  her  should,  therefore,  have  some  little  value, 
for  I  am  the  only  European  who  has  ever  had  a  chance 
to  study  this  remarkable  woman  in  her  own  milieu, 
or  to  look  upon  the  facts  of  her  life  from  the  stand- 
point within  her  own  circle. 

In  this  simple  relation  of  what  I  saw  of  the  customs, 
religious  rites  and  ceremonies,  I  have  also  preferred 
to  rest  upon  my  own  personal  interpretation  of  the 
same,  rather  than  to  study  the  learned  explanations  of 
the  many  clever  Sinologues,  whose  works  abound. 
These  works  may  be  consulted  by  those  who  desire  to 
enter  more  deeply  into  things.  I  had  no  time  to 
make  a  comprehensive  study  of  any  works  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  I  purposely  have  read  nothing  and  consulted 
no  books  on  China,  wishing  to  give  a  fresh  impression. 
As  all  their  curious  ceremonies  were  a  matter  of  course 
to  the  Chinese,  they  had  become  so  petrified  by  long 
use  and  tradition,  as  to  have,  in  many  instances,  lost 
their  original  signification  to  most  of  those  who  went 
through  them.  I  could  thus  get  very  little  help  from 
the  Chinese  and  was  forced  to  put  my  own  interpreta- 
tion upon  things.  I  feel  that,  with  my  limited  capa- 
cities, and  my  inexperience  as  a  writer,  the  only  reason 
for  my  entering  this  field  at  all  lies  in  the  interest  of 
what  I  saw,  as  I  saw  it.  Notwithstanding  the  attitude 
of  the  Court  in  this  matter,  I  have  decided  to  run  the 

xxiv 


Introductory 


risk  of  incurring  their  displeasure  and  reprobation,  for 
I  feel  assured  that  what  I  have  to  say  may  serve 
to  clear  up  certain  misapprehensions  and  place 
Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager  in  more  favorable 
light.  What  follows  is  but  the  simple  narration, 
the  unsophisticated  interpretation,  of  an  observant 
painter. 


XXV 


WITH  THE  EMPRESS 
DOWAGER  OF    CHINA 


WITH  THE  EMPRESS 
DOWAGER    OF    CHINA 

CHAPTER  I 

MY  PRESENTATION  AND  FIRST  DAY  AT  THE 
CHINESE  COURT 

rilHE  day  of  my  first  Audience  at  the  Chinese  Court, 
JL  August  5th,  we  were  up  betimes  at  the  American 
Legation,  for  it  takes  full  three  hours  to  drive  out  to 
the  Summer  Palace  from  Peking ;  and  punctuality  is 
the  etiquette  of  Oriental  as  well  as  of  Occidental  poten- 
tates. Our  audience  was  for  half -past  ten  o'clock,  and 
the  portrait  of  the  Empress  Dowager  was  to  be  begun 
at  eleven ;  that  hour,  as  well  as  the  day  and  the  month, 
having  been  chosen,  after  much  deliberation  and 
many  consultations  of  the  almanac,  as  the  most  aus- 
picious for  beginning  work  on  the  first  likeness  ever 
made  of  Her  Majesty. 

We  left  the  Legation  at  seven  A.M.  in  the  trap  of 
the  United  States  Legation  Guard,  that  being  the 
only  vehicle  available  large  enough  to  carry  the  party, 
Mrs.  Conger  and  her  interpreter  and  myself  and  my 
painting  materials,  which  included  a  large  canvas  and 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

a  folding  easel.  After  leaving  the  City,  the  drive  out 
to  the  Summer  Palace  is  through  fertile  fields  and 
a  fair,  smiling  landscape.  It  had  rained  the  night 
before  and  everything  was  beautifully  fresh.  The 
wet,  stone-paved  road  stretched  ahead  like  a  shining 
stream ;  the  wheat  and  corn  fields  along  the  road  were 
of  a  brilliant  green,  with  here  and  there  the  somber 
note  of  a  clump  of  arbor-vitae,  out  of  which  rose  the 
walls  of  a  temple !  The  distant  hills,  where  lay  the 
Summer  Palace,  were  delicately  limned  against  a  soft 
blue-gray  sky,  and  the  whole  made  an  entrancing 
picture. 

Soon  after  leaving  Peking  the  mounted  official 
Legation  servants  that  followed  Mrs.  Conger's  car- 
riage were  joined  by  a  Chinese  Guard  of  Honor  sent 
by  the  Wai-Wu-Pu  (Foreign  Office)  to  escort  us  to  the 
Palace.  After  an  hour  and  a  half's  drive  we  rattled 
through  a  busy  village,  past  the  yellow  ruins  of  a 
great  lama  temple,  and  along  the  park  walls  of  the 
summer  homes  of  several  Princes  of  the  Imperial 
Family,  and  soon  came  within  sight  of  the  beautiful 
grounds  of  the  Summer  Palace  with  its  hills,  valleys, 
canals,  and  lakes ;  the  hills  crowned  with  tea-houses 
and  temples,  the  waters  of  the  canals  lapping  the 
marble  terraces  of  the  Palaces.  The  red  walls  and 
glazed  tiles  of  the  yellow  and  green  roofs,  the  brilliant 
foliage,  freshened  by  the  rain,  made  a  gay  picture ; 
and  the  temples,  arches,  pagodas,  and  the  many  build- 
ings that  constitute  a  Chinese  palace  gave  it  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  whole  town  rather  than  of  a  single  palace. 

As  in  all  Oriental  palaces,  upon  the  very  threshold 
of  the  outer  courts  sit  the  beggar,  the  lame,  the  halt, 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

and  the  blind,  gathering  rich  harvests  from  the  gen- 
erosity of  the  high  nobles  and  officials  and  their  myriad 
retainers  as  they  pass  in  and  out  of  the  Foreign  Office 
and  the  outer  courts  of  the  Palace.  The  Foreign 
Office,  during  the  residence  of  the  Court  at  the  Summer 
Palace,  sixteen  miles  from  the  Capital,  has  offices  on 
the  left  of  the  great  Imperial  entrance,  in  order  that 
state  business  may  be  more  easily  transacted  while 
Their  Majesties  are  in  villeggiatura. 

We  alighted  at  the  Foreign  Office  and  were  met  by 
a  number  of  officials  with  their  interpreters,  coming 
out  to  receive  us.  After  readjusting  ourselves  in  the 
waiting-room,  we  were  met,  when  we  came  out,  by 
the  Chief  Eunuch  of  the  Palace,  who  conducted  us  to 
the  red-covered  Palace  chairs,  each  carried  by  six  men. 
They  bore  us  past  the  Imperial  gateway  (used  only  for 
Their  Majesties),  through  a  door  of  entrance  at  the 
left,  when  we  were  within  the  sacred  precincts  of  one 
of  the  residences  of  the  Sons  of  Heaven  and  within 
the  walls  of  the  favorite  Palace  of  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager !  Before  we  could  take  in  our  surroundings,  we 
had  been  rapidly  carried  through  various  courts  and 
gardens,  and  had  come  at  last  to  a  larger,  quadrangu- 
lar court,  filled  with  pots  of  rare  blooming  plants  and 
many  beautiful  growing  shrubs.  Here  the  bearers  put 
down  our  chairs ;  we  descended  and  walked  through 
the  court,  preceded  and  followed  by  a  number  of 
eunuchs.  The  great  plate-glass  doors  of  the  Palace  in 
front  of  us,  blazing  with  the  huge  red  character  "  Sho  " 
(longevity),  were  swung  noiselessly  back,  and  we  were 
at  last  within  the  Throne-room  of  Her  Imperial 
Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager  of  China ! 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

A  group  of  Princesses  and  Ladies-in-waiting  stood 
to  receive  us.  The  Ladies  Yu-Keng,  wife  and  daugh- 
ter of  a  former  Chinese  Minister  to  France,  stood  near 
the  Princesses ;  and  their  perfect  knowledge  of  both 
Chinese  and  English  rendered  them  delightful  me- 
diums of  communication  between  the  Princesses 
and  ourselves.  Having  known  these  ladies  in  Paris, 
it  was  almost  like  seeing  old  friends.  They  seemed  a 
link  between  the  real,  every-day  world  and  this  Ara- 
bian Nights  Palace  into  which  we  had  been  wafted. 
As  we  arrived  at  a  quarter-past  ten,  we  were  in  the 
Throne-room  a  few  moments  before  Their  Majesties 
appeared !  Their  entrance  was  so  simply  made,  so 
unobtrusive,  that  the  first  I  knew  of  it,  noticing  a 
sudden  lull,  I  looked  around  and  saw  a  charming 
little  lady,  with  a  brilliant  smile,  greeting  Mrs.  Conger 
very  cordially.  One  of  the  Ladies  Yu-Keng  whis- 
pered, "  Her  Majesty  " ;  but  even  after  this  it  seemed 
almost  impossible  for  me  to  realize  that  this  kindly 
looking  lady,  so  remarkably  young-looking,  with  so 
winning  a  smile,  could  be  the  so-called  cruel,  im- 
placable tyrant,  the  redoubtable  "  old "  Empress 
Dowager,  whose  name  had  been  on  the  lips  of  the 
world  since  1900 !  A  young  man,  almost  boyish  in 
appearance,  entered  the  Throne-room  with  her :  this 
was  the  Son  of  Heaven,  the  Emperor  of  China ! 

After  greeting  Mrs.  Conger,  the  Empress  Dowager 
looked  toward  me,  and  I  advanced  with  a  reverence. 
She  met  me  half-way  and  extended  her  hand  with 
another  brilliant  smile  which  quite  won  me,  and  I 
spontaneously  raised  her  dainty  fingers  to  my  lips. 
This  was  not  in  the  protocol  program.  It  was  an 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

involuntary  and  surprised  tribute  on  my  part  to  her 
unexpected  charm.  She  then  turned  and  with  grace- 
ful gesture  extended  her  hand  toward  the  Emperor 
and  murmured  "The  Emperor,"  and  watched  me 
closely  while  I  made  His  Majesty  the  formal  rever- 
ence. He  acknowledged  the  salutation  by  a  slight 
bow  and  a  stereotyped  smile,  but  I  felt  that  he,  too, 
was  closely  scrutinizing  me  as  his  shrewd  glance 
swept  my  person. 

After  a  few  moments'  conversation,  interpreted  by 
the  Ladies  Yu-Keng,  Her  Majesty  ordered  my  paint- 
ing things  brought  in,  while  she  retired  to  be  dressed 
in  the  gown  she  had  decided  upon  as  appropriate  for 
the  portrait. 

After  she  had  left  the  Throne-room,  I  tried  to  take 
in  the  conditions  of  the  place  for  painting.  The  hall ' 
was  large  and  spacious,  but  the  light  was  false,  the 
upper  parts  of  the  windows  being  covered  with  paper 
shades.  The  only  place  in  the  hall  where  there  was 
any  sort  of  light  for  painting  was  in  front  of  the 
great  plate-glass  doors,  and  this  was  but  a  small  space 
in  which  to  begin  so  large  a  picture.  To  get  a  light 
upon  the  portrait,  as  well  as  upon  the  sitter,  I  should 
be  forced  to  place  my  canvas  very  near  the  throne 
where  she  was  to  sit ;  and,  with  so  large  a  portrait  as 
I  was  to  paint,  this  would  be  a  great  disadvantage. 
When  I  thought  I  must  paint  here,  and  begin  at  once 
upon  the  canvas  which  was  to  be  the  final  picture,  my 
heart  fell !  Her  Majesty  wished,  above  all,  to  have  a 
large  portrait,  and  I  was  told  she  would  not  under- 
stand my  beginning  on  a  small  canvas  or  making  any 
preliminary  studies  —  that  if  I  did  not  begin  on  the 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

big  canvas  at  once  she  would  probably  not  give  me 
any  more  sittings ;  in  fact  we  had  that  morning  been 
told  at  the  Foreign  Office  that  Her  Majesty  was  to 
give  me  but  two  sittings,  so  there  was  no  alternative ! 
There  could  be  no  preliminary  poses,  no  choice  from 
several  sketches,  and  only  a  few  moments  in  which 
to  choose  the  pose,  which  must  be  final— and  I  totally 
ignorant  of  the  possibilities  of  my  sitter  or  her  char- 
acteristics. 

Luckily,  I  had  but  a  few  moments  to  consider  all 
these  adverse  circumstances,  for  Her  Majesty  soon 
returned !  She  had  been  clothed  in  a  gown  of  Impe- 
rial yellow,  brocaded  in  the  wistaria  vine  in  realistic 
colors  and  richly  embroidered  in  pearls.  It  was 
made,  in  the  graceful  Manchu  fashion,  in  one  piece, 
reaching  from  the  neck  to  the  floor ;  fastened  from 
the  right  shoulder  to  the  hem  with  jade  buttons.  The 
stuff  of  the  gown  was  of  a  stiff,  transparent  silk,  and 
was  worn  over  a  softer  under-gown  of  the  same  color 
and  length.  At  the  top  button,  from  the  right  shoul- 
der, hung  a  string  of  eighteen  enormous  pearls  sepa- 
rated by  flat  pieces  of  brilliant,  transparent  green 
jade.  From  the  same  button  was  suspended  a  large, 
carved  pale  ruby,  which  had  yellow  silk  tassels  ter- 
minating in  two  immense  pear-shaped  pearls  of  rare 
beauty!  At  each  side,  just  under  the  arms,  hung 
a  pale-blue,  embroidered  silk  handkerchief  and  a 
scent-bag  with  long,  black  silk  tassels.  Around  her 
throat  was  a  pale-blue,  two-inch-wide  cravat,  em- 
broidered in  gold  with  large  pearls.  This  cravat  had 
one  end  tucked  into  the  opening  on  the  shoulder  of 
her  gown,  and  the  other  hanging.  Her  jet-black  hair 

8 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

was  parted  in  the  middle,  carried  smoothly  over  the 
temples,  and  brought  to  the  top  of  the  head  in  a  large, 
flat  coil. 

Formerly  all  Manchu  ladies  who  have  marvelous 
hair  carried  the  hair  itself  out  from  this  coil  over  a 
golden,  jade,  or  tortoise-shell  sword-like  pin,  into  a 
large-winged  bow.  The  Empress  Dowager  and  the 
Ladies  of  the  Court  have  substituted  satin  instead  of 
the  hair,  for  this  wing-like  construction,  as  being  more 
practicable  and  less  liable  to  get  out  of  order.  So 
satin-like  and  glossy  is  their  hair  that  it  is  difficult  to 
tell  where  it  ends  and  the  satin  begins.  A  band  of 
pearls,  with  an  immense  " flaming  pearl"  in  the  cen- 
ter, encircled  the  coil.  On  either  side  of  the  winged 
bow  were  bunches  of  natural  flowers  and  a  profusion 
of  jewels.  From  the  right  side  of  the  head-dress 
hung  a  tassel  of  eight  strings  of  beautiful  pearls 
reaching  to  the  shoulder. 

She  wore  bracelets  and  rings,  and  on  each  hand  had 
two  nail-protectors,  for  she  wore  her  nails  so  long  the 
protectors  were  necessary  adjuncts.  These  nail-pro- 
tectors were  worn  on  the  third  and  fourth  fingers  of 
either  hand;  those  on  the  left  being  of  brilliant 
green  jade,  while  those  on  the  right  hand  were  of 
gold,  set  with  rubies  and  pearls. 

Her  Majesty  advanced  with  animation  and  asked 
me  where  the  Double  Dragon  Throne  was  to  be 
placed.  After  the  eunuchs  had  put  it  where  I  said, 
she  took  her  seat.  Although  not  more  than  five  feet 
tall,  as  she  wears  the  Manchu  shoes  with  six-inch-high, 
stilt-like  soles,  to  avoid  throwing  the  knees  up  higher 
than  the  lap  she  must  sit  upon  cushions,  and  when 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

she  is  seated  she  looks  a  much  larger  woman  than 
when  standing.  She  took  a  conventional  pose  and 
told  me  I  might  make  any  suggestion  I  wished ;  but 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  the  pose  and  surround- 
ings must  be  as  typical  and  characteristic  as  possible, 
and  as  I  had  had  no  time  to  study  my  August  Sitter  I 
thought  she  would  know  best  as  to  her  position  and 
accessories. 

It  was  nearing  eleven ! 

Beginning  anything  is  momentous.  Every  artist 
knows  how  the  wonderful  possibilities  of  the  bare 
canvas  in  its  virgin  purity  standing  before  him  in- 
spires him  with  almost  a  feeling  of  awe ;  how  he  hesi- 
tates about  beginning,  so  great  is  the  responsibility. 
This  bare  canvas  may  become  a  masterpiece,  the  full 
expression  of  his  thought,  or  it  may  come  forth  a 
maimed  and  distorted  effort.  To-day  in  these  strange 
surroundings,  with  these  unusual  and  unfavorable 
conditions,  my  hesitancy  was  greater  than  usual ;  for 
upon  this  beginning  depended  my  being  able  to  go 
on  with  the  portrait. 

My  hands  trembled !  The  inscrutable  eyes  of  the 
wonderful  woman  I  was  to  paint,  fixed  piercingly 
upon  me,  were  also  disconcerting;  but  just  then 
the  eighty-five  clocks  in  this  particular  Throne- 
room  began  to  chime,  play  airs,  and  strike  the  hour 
in  eighty-five  different  ways.  The  auspicious  mo- 
ment had  come!  I  raised  my  charcoal  and  put 
the  first  stroke  upon  the  canvas  of  the  first  portrait 
that  had  ever  been  painted  of  the  Empress  Dowager 
of  Great  China,  the  powerful  "Tze-Shi."  The 
Princesses,  Ladies-in-waiting,  the  high  eunuchs  and  at- 

IO 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

tendants,  stood  in  breathless  silence  around,  intently 
watching  my  every  movement,  for  everything  touch- 
ing Her  Majesty  is  a  solemnity. 

For  a  few  moments  I  heard  the  faintest  ticking  of  the 
eighty-five  clocks  as  if  they  were  great  Cathedral  bells 
clanging  in  my  ears,  and  my  charcoal  on  the  canvas 
sounded  like  some  mighty  saw  drawn  back  and  forth. 
Then,  happily,  I  became  interested,  and  absolutely  un- 
conscious of  anything  but  my  sitter  and  my  work.  I 
worked  steadily  on  for  what  seemed  to  be  a  very 
short  time,  when  Her  Majesty  turned  to  the  inter- 
preter and  said  "enough  work  had  been  done  for 
that  day  " ;  the  conditions  had  been  fulfilled  and  the 
picture  begun  at  the  auspicious  moment.  She  added 
that  she  knew  I  must  be  tired  from  our  long  drive 
out  from  Peking,  as  well  as  from  my  work.  She  said 
I  must  rest  and  we  must  partake  of  some  refresh- 
ments. She  then  descended  from  the  throne  and 
came  over  to  look  at  the  sketch. 

I  had  blocked  in  the  whole  figure  and  had  drawn 
the  head  with  some  accuracy.  So  strong  and  impres- 
sive is  her  personality,  I  had  been  able  to  get  enough 
of  her  character  into  this  rough  whole  to  make  it  a 
sort  of  likeness.  After  looking  critically  at  it  for  a 
few  moments,  she  expressed  herself  as  well  pleased 
with  what  had  been  done,  and  paid  me  some  compli- 
ments on  my  talent  as  an  artist !  I  felt  instinctively, 
however,  this  was  due  more  to  her  natural  courtesy— 
her  desire  to  put  me  at  ease— than  to  an  actual  ex- 
pression of  her  opinion.  After  she  had  looked  at  the 
portrait,  she  called  Mrs.  Conger  and  the  Princesses  to 
see  what  had  been  done,  and  it  was  discussed  for  a  few 

I  I 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

moments.  Then  she  turned  to  me  and  said  the  por- 
trait interested  her  greatly,  that  she  should  like  to  see 
it  go  on.  She  asked  me,  looking  straight  into  my 
eyes  the  while,  if  I  would  care  to  remain  at  the  Palace 
for  a  few  days,  that  she  might  give  me  sittings  at  her 
leisure. 

This  invitation  filled  me  with  joy.  The  reports  I 
had  heard  of  Her  Majesty's  hatred  of  the  foreigner 
had  been  dispelled  by  this  first  Audience  and  what  I 
had  seen  there.  I  felt  that  the  most  consummate  actress 
could  not  so  belie  her  personality,  and  I  accepted, 
without  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  invitation  so  gra- 
ciously tendered.  I  thought  thus  I  should  be  able  to 
get  a  good  beginning  for  a  satisfactory  likeness  of  this 
most  remarkable  and  interesting  woman.  My  san- 
guine heart  even  leaped  forward  to  the  possibility  of 
probably  finishing  the  portrait  entirely  at  the  Palace. 
Her  Majesty  seemed  pleased  at  my  acceptance  and 
said  she  would  try  to  make  me  happy.  She  then  with- 
drew and  we  were  served  to  luncheon. 

The  Empress  Dowager  always  eats  alone.  When 
she  has  guests  the  Princess  Imperial,  as  the  first  of 
the  Ladies  of  the  Palace,  acts  as  hostess.  The  guests 
of  honor  are  placed  at  her  right  and  left.  The 
Princesses,  Ladies  Yu-Keng,  Mrs.  Conger,  and  myself 
formed  the  guests  on  this  occasion. 

The  table,  decorated  with  flowers  and  fruit,  groaned 
under  the  many  Chinese  dishes  placed  thereon.  For- 
eign dishes  were  served  d  la  Russe.  The  Chinese  dishes, 
attractive  to  the  eye  as  well  as  to  the  senses  of  smell 
and  taste,  appealed  to  me  at  once ;  though  I  had  been 
told  one  must  cultivate  a  taste  for  them.  There  were 

12 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

foreign  table  waters  and  wines  as  well  as  Chinese 
drinks.  We  did  full  justice  to  the  viands,  tasting 
everything  and  trying  to  use  the  chop-sticks,  though 
knives  and  forks  were  also  placed  for  each  of  the 
guests. 

After  the  repast  Her  Majesty  and  the  young  Em- 
press, the  first  wife  of  the  Emperor  Kwang-Hsu,  came 
in.  Her  Majesty  presented  the  young  Empress  with 
the  same  grace  with  which  she  had  indicated  the  Em- 
peror at  the  morning  Audience,  repeating  her  title, 
"  The  Empress,"  as  she  did  so.  Immediately  behind 
the  young  Empress  was  the  only  secondary  wife  of 
the  Emperor,  who  was  also  presented  by  the  Empress 
Dowager. 

Then  Her  Majesty  told  Mrs.  Conger  she  had  her 
Players  at  the  Theater  that  day,  and  she  invited  us  to 
come  and  hear  them.  The  Empress  Dowager  and 
Mrs.  Conger  led  the  way  and  I  followed  with  the  young 
Empress  and  Princesses.  "We  passed  through  several 
courts,  all  gay  with  flowers,  and  finally  reached  the 
largest  of  all,  the  Court  of  the  Theater.  The  Theater 
projects  into  this  rectangular  court  and  consists  of  a 
covered  rostrum,  open  on  three  sides  with  doors  at  the 
back  for  the  entrance  and  exit  of  the  actors.  In  front 
of  the  stage  and  across  the  open,  flower-filled  court, 
with  splendid  bronze  ornaments  here  and  there,  is  a 
building  which  might  be  called  the  Imperial  loge.  This 
is  from  sixty  to  eighty  feet  long  with  a  pillared  stone 
verandah  and  occupies  one  entire  side  of  the  court. 
Huge  panes  of  plate  glass,  the  full  height  of  the  build- 
ing, enable  Her  Majesty  and  the  Emperor  to  see,  from 
within,  all  that  passes  on  the  stage,  and  they  can, 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

of  course,  hear  everything  perfectly.  The  buildings 
which  form  the  other  sides  of  this  court,  those  which 
run  at  right  angles  to  the  Imperial  loge,  are  divided 
into  small  stalls,  each  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
opera  box.  There  are  no  chairs  in  these  boxes,  the 
occupants  sit  Turkish  fashion  upon  the  floor,  for  no 
courtier  can  occupy  a  chair  when  in  the  presence  of 
Their  Majesties.  These  side  rooms  are  for  the  use  of 
the  high  officials  and  Princes  who  are  sometimes  in- 
vited by  Their  Majesties  to  be  present  at  the  Imperial 
Theatrical  Representations. 

On  my  first  day  at  Court  there  were  no  other  in- 
vited guests ;  the  Players  had  been  summoned  in  our 
honor.  Her  Majesty  sat  in  a  yellow-covered  chair  on 
the  red-pillared  verandah  of  the  Imperial  loge.  The 
Emperor  was  seated  on  a  yellow  stool  at  her  left,  the 
place  of  honor  in  China.  Mrs.  Conger  and  I  were 
on  Her  Majesty's  right,  the  young  Empresses, 
Princesses,  and  Ladies-in-waiting  standing  around. 
After  seeing  two  or  three  acts  of  a  play  of  which  we 
understood  little  more  than  the  pantomime,  but  which 
was  interesting  from  its  very  novelty,  Mrs.  Conger 
arose  to  take  leave  of  Their  Majesties  and  the  Prin- 
cesses. After  this  was  accomplished,  I  accompanied 
her  to  one  of  the  outer  courts  and  there  told  her 
good-by. 

"When  she  left,  I  was  alone  in  the  Palace,  the  first 
foreigner  to  be  domiciled  in  any  residence  of  a  Son  of 
Heaven  since  the  time  of  Marco  Polo,  and  the  only  for- 
eigner who  had  ever  been  within  the  Ladies'  Precincts. 
I  had  a  curious  feeling  of  having  been  transported  into 
a  strange  world.  A  sense  of  loneliness  crept  over  me, 

14 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

and  I  feared  the  strangeness  of  my  position  might 
affect  my  work,  and  that,  after  all,  I  should  not  accom- 
plish what  I  had  remained  in  the  Palace  to  do.  I 
stood  for  a  few  minutes  pondering  my  position,  but 
was  soon  joined  by  the  Ladies  Yu-Keng  with  a  mes- 
sage from  the  Empress  Dowager  that  I  need  not 
return  to  the  Theater,  as  she  had  gone  to  rest.  She 
sent  word  that  she  thought  it  would  be  well  for  me  to 
go  to  my  apartments  and  try  to  sleep  a  little.  She 
hoped  I  would  be  happy  in  the  Palace  and  find  the 
pavilion  she  had  set  aside  for  me  comfortable.  She 
added  that  I  must  not  hesitate  to  order  anything  I 
wished  and  must  make  myself  perfectly  at  home. 

The  Summer  Palace,  like  all  Chinese  palaces  and 
temples,  and  even  the  dwelling-houses  of  the  rich, 
consists  of  a  series  of  verandahed  buildings,  built  on 
stone  foundations  which  rise  about  eight  feet  from  the 
ground,  generally  of  one  story,  around  the  four  sides 
of  rectangular  or  square  courts,  connected  by  open 
verandah-like  corridors.  The  apartments  set  aside 
for  my  private  use,  while  in  the  Precincts,  were  to  the 
left  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  Throne-room  and  quite 
near  it— in  order  that  I  might  go  and  come  to  my 
painting  with  ease.  These  apartments  occupied  an 
entire  pavilion.  It  was  charming.  Its  shining  mar- 
ble floors  and  beautifully  carved  partitions,  its  painted 
walls  and  charming  outlook  over  flowery  courts,  made 
it  a  delightful  spot.  These  pavilions  at  the  Palace 
have  movable  partitions  and  the  rooms  may  be  made 
as  small  as  closets  or  as  large  as  the  whole  building. 

My  pavilion  consisted  of  two  sitting-rooms,  a  dining- 
room,  and  a  charming  bedroom,  separated  from  each 

15 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

other  by  screen-like  walls  of  beautifully  carved  open 
woodwork,  with  blue  silk  showing  through  the  in- 
terstices. In  the  larger  spaces  were  artistic  panels  of 
flowers  painted  on  white  silk,  alternating  with  poems 
and  quotations  from  the  classics,  in  the  picturesque, 
ideographic  writing  of  the  Chinese.  On  one  of  the 
solid  walls  was  a  large  water-color  painting  on  white 
silk,  representing  a  realistically  painted  peafowl  in  a 
flowery  field ;  an  immense  mirror  formed  the  other 
solid  wall.  The  plate-glass  lower  windows  had  blue 
silken  curtains,  the  upper  windows  of  white  paper 
were  rolled  down,  and  the  rich  perfume  of  the  flowers 
in  the  court  came  in.  In  my  honor,  several  foreign 
"objets  de  virtu"  adorned  the  tables  and  window- 
shelves.  The  bed,  a  couch  built  into  an  alcove,  was 
covered  with  blue  satin  cushions;  and  the  windows 
were  shaded  from  the  outside  by  blue  silken  awnings, 
which  gave  a  soft  subdued  light  to  the  room,  that 
made  it  very  cool  and  restful-looking.  I  found  the 
couch  so  inviting  I  was  soon  really  resting,  and  the 
events  of  the  day  passed  before  my  mental  vision  in 
kaleidoscopic  array.  Although  the  cushions  of  the 
bed  were  harder  than  I  had  been  accustomed  to,  and 
the  dozen  or  more  eunuchs,  who  had  been  set  aside  for 
my  service,  were  whispering  just  outside  my  window 
to  be  ready  for  any  call,  I  soon  fell  asleep  from  sheer 
exhaustion  and  reaction  from  the  unusual  events  of 
the  day. 

At  five  o'clock  one  of  the  Ladies  Yu-Keng  knocked 
at  my  door  to  tell  me  the  Empress  Dowager  was 
awake,  and  had  asked  that  I  come  up  to  the  Throne- 
room  as  soon  as  I  was  ready.  When  we  went  up  she 

16 


My  First  Day  at  the  Chinese  Court 

called  me  to  her  side  and  said  she  hoped  I  had  rested 
well,  that  I  found  my  apartments  comfortable;  she 
repeated  again  the  wish  that  I  would  be  happy  with 
her.  She  said  we  would  not  paint  any  more  for 
that  day,  but  on  the  morrow  we  would  have  another 
and  longer  sitting  for  the  portrait.  She  begged  me 
to  let  her  know  if  there  was  anything  I  cared  for 
particularly,  that  she  might  order  it  for  me. 

The  Empress  Dowager  then  dined  alone,  after  which 
the  young  Empress  and  the  Princesses  led  me  into 
the  Throne-room,  and  we  dined  at  Her  Majesty's 
table,  her  seat  being  left  vacant.  The  young  Empress 
occupied  the  place  at  the  left  of  this  vacant  seat,  and 
had  me  on  her  left.  When  we  had  finished  dinner, 
at  which  the  young  Empress  and  the  Ladies  were 
most  considerate  of  me,  seeming  to  try  to  make  me 
feel  at  ease,  we  went  up  to  take  our  leave  of  the  Em- 
press Dowager.  After  this  was  accomplished  we  left 
the  Throne-room,  and  made  our  adieus  to  the  young 
Empress  and  Princesses,  and  left  the  Imperial  inclo- 
sure  for  the  Palace  of  the  Emperor's  Father,  which 
Her  Majesty  had  set  aside  for  the  use  of  the  Ladies 
Yu-Keng  and  myself  while  I  was  at  work  on  the  por- 
trait. 


CHAPTER  II 

PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  OF  HER  MAJESTY— A  CHINESE 
EEPAST — BOATING 

I  WAS  eager  to  be  off  the  next  morning,  to  have 
the  promised  long  sitting  from  Her  Majesty. 
The  sitting  of  the  day  before  had  but  whetted  my 
desire  for  further  work  on  the  portrait.  When  we 
arrived  within  the  Precincts  we  met  the  Empress 
Dowager  and  the  Emperor  coming  out  of  the  Great 
Audience  Hall  from  their  joint  Audience.  When 
Her  Majesty  saw  us  she  stopped,  as  did  the  whole 
train  of  her  attendant  Ladies  and  eunuchs.  She 
called  me  up  to  her  side,  took  my  hand,  and  asked  me 
how  I  had  rested  and  "  whether  I  felt  ready  for  work." 
This  question  showed  her  penetration,  for  she  had 
seen  the  day  before,  from  my  eagerness  and  the 
breathless  haste  with  which  I  used  every  moment, 
that  my  work  was  my  first  object,  and  she  smiled 
when  she  put  the  query.  I  walked  along  by  her  side 
from  the  Audience  Hall  to  the  Throne-room  where  I 
had  begun  the  portrait  of  the  day  before.  When  we 
reached  the  Throne-room  she  was  divested  of  her 
official  vestments,  took  a  cup  of  tea,  and  called  one  of 
her  tiring- women  to  bring  her  the  dress  and  orna- 
ments worn  the  day  before,  and  she  prepared  to  sit  for 
me  the  second  time. 

18 


Personal  Appearance  of  Her  Majesty 

At  this  second  sitting  I  looked  at  the  Empress 
Dowager  critically.  I  feared  that  the  agreeable  im- 
pression I  had  formed,  the  day  before,  of  herself  and 
her  personal  appearance  had  probably  been  too  hasty, 
the  result  of  the  unusual  glamour  in  which  I  had  be- 
gun the  portrait ;  I  thought  perhaps  the  Oriental  en- 
vironment had  dazzled  me  and  prevented  my  seeing 
the  Empress  Dowager  as  she  really  was,  and  I  looked 
forward  to  a  disillusion.  As  she  sat  there,  upon  the 
throne,  before  she  was  quite  ready  for  me  to  begin, 
before  she  had  transfixed  me  with  her  penetrating 
glance,  before  she  knew  I  was  looking  at  her,  I 
scanned  her  person  and  face  with  all  the  penetration 
I  could  bring  to  bear,  and  this  is  what  I  saw: 

A  perfectly  proportioned  figure,  with  head  well  set 
upon  her  shoulders  and  a  fine  presence ;  really  beauti- 
ful hands,  daintily  small  and  high-bred  in  shape ;  a 
symmetrical,  well-formed  head,  with  a  good  develop- 
ment above  the  rather  large  ears;  jet-black  hair, 
smoothly  parted  over  a  fine,  broad  brow;  delicate, 
well-arched  eyebrows;  brilliant,  black  eyes,  set  per- 
fectly straight  in  the  head ;  a  high  nose,  of  the  type 
the  Chinese  call  "  noble,"  broad  between  the  eyes  and 
on  a  line  with  the  forehead;  an  upper  lip  of  great 
firmness,  a  rather  large  but  beautiful  mouth  with 
mobile,  red  lips,  which,  when  parted  over  her  firm 
white  teeth,  gave  her  smile  a  rare  charm ;  a  strong 
chin,  but  not  of  exaggerated  firmness  and  with  no 
marks  of  obstinacy.1  Had  I  not  known  she  was  near- 
ing  her  sixty-ninth  year,  I  should  have  thought  her  a 
well-preserved  woman  of  forty.  Being  a  widow,  she 
used  no  cosmetics.  Her  face  had  the  natural  glow  of 

'9 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

health,  and  one  could  see  that  exquisite  care  and 
attention  were  bestowed  upon  everything  concerning 
her  toilet.  Personal  neatness  and  an  excellent  taste 
in  the  choice  of  becoming  colors  and  ornaments  en- 
hanced this  wonderfully  youthful  appearance,  and  a 
look  of  keen  interest  in  her  surroundings  and  remark- 
able intelligence  crowned  all  these  physical  qualities 
and  made  an  unusually  attractive  personality. 

When  I  was  so  far  in  my  study  of  her  appearance, 
the  Empress  Dowager  had  finished  speaking  to  her 
attendants,  had  settled  herself  to  her  satisfaction  on 
the  throne,  and  she  turned  to  me  and  asked  "what 
part  of  the  portrait  I  was  to  work  on."  I  had  been 
told  she  would  be  much  pleased  if  I  would  paint  in  the 
face.  Thinking  it  was  important  to  please  her  at  the 
outset,  instead  of  perfecting  and  advancing  the  draw- 
ing of  the  whole  figure,  as  I  should  have  done,  I  began 
on  the  face ;  first  correcting  the  drawing  as  far  as  pos- 
sible and  then  putting  in  a  thin  wash  of  color.  During 
the  sitting  the  Ladies,  attendants,  and  eunuchs  were 
coming  and  going ;  she  took  tea  and  conversed,  but 
she  seemed  to  understand  that  she  must  keep  her 
head  in  the  same  position,  and  she  would  look  over 
apologetically  at  me  when  she  moved  it.  I  did  not 
wish  her  to  be  stiff,  and  preferred  her  moving  a  little 
to  sitting  like  a  statue.  Her  Majesty,  like  all  Oriental 
ladies,  smokes,  and  during  the  sitting  the  eunuchs  or 
some  of  the  Princesses  brought  her  either  the  grace- 
ful water-pipe,  of  which  she  would  take  a  few 
whiffs,  or  she  would  indulge  in  European  cigarettes. 
She  never  allowed  the  latter  to  touch  her  lips,  but 
used  a  long  cigarette-holder.  She  was  extremely 

20 


A  Chinese  Repast 

graceful  in  her  use  of  both  the  cigarette  and 
water-pipe. 

After  little  more  than  an  hour's  work  Her  Majesty 
decided  that  enough  had  been  done  for  the  morning 
and  that  we  both  needed  rest !  She  came  over  to  look 
at  the  face,  and  it  was  easy  to  see  that  she  liked  it  much 
better  now  that  the  color  was  being  put  in.  She 
stood  behind  me,  discussing  it  for  some  time,  and  said 
she  wished  it  were  possible  for  some  one  else  to  pose 
for  the  face,  so  that  she  might  sit  and  watch  it  grow. 
She  thought  it  very  wonderful  that  on  the  flat  can- 
vas the  relief  of  the  face  could  be  represented.  She 
then  turned  to  me  and  said  she  knew  I  must  be  tired 
both  mentally  and  bodily,  as  I  stand  to  my  work, 
advised  me  to  go  to  my  pavilion,  have  lunch,  and 
rest,  and  added  that  she  would  try  to  give  me  another 
sitting  in  the  afternoon  before  we  went  out  for  some 
sort  of  promenade. 

I  returned  to  my  pavilion  with  the  Ladies  Yu-Keng, 
whom  Her  Majesty  had  appointed  to  keep  me  com- 
pany for  the  meals  in  my  own  quarters.  There  was  a 
young  Manchu  girl  at  Court  whose  father  had  been  an 
attache  at  Berlin,  who  spoke  German  and  English ; 
she,  also,  had  been  ordered  by  Her  Majesty  to  take 
her  meals  with  us,  so  that  I  might  have  pleasant  com- 
pany and  be  able  to  converse  in  my  own  language  and 
have  proper  relaxation  during  my  meals.  Besides,  I 
did  not  know  enough  Chinese  to  direct  the  servants 
or  make  my  wants  known,  and  these  Ladies  were  Her 
Majesty's  interpreters. 

The  meals  at  the  Palace  were  all  of  the  most  lavish 
description,  twenty  or  thirty  dishes  being  placed 

21 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

upon  the  table  at  the  beginning  of  the  meal,  while 
macaroni,  rice,  and  a  few  other  things  were  served 
from  a  side  table.  The  Chinese  are  passed  masters  in 
the  culinary  art,  and  the  delicacies  seen  at  good  Chi- 
nese tables  are  fit  for  a  repast  of  Lucullus.  Sharks' 
fins,  deers'  sinews,  birds'  tongues,  rare  fish,  bird's-nest 
soups,  fish  brains,  shrimps'  eggs;  and  many  other  ex- 
traordinary dishes  make  up  the  every-day  menu.  No 
one  can  cook  goose,  duck,  and  in  fact  all  fowls  and 
game,  to  such  perfection  as  the  Chinese.  Their  soups 
are  of  a  delicacy  and  flavor  quite  unequaled.  Their 
breads  and  cakes  seem  to  the  foreigner,  at  first,  the 
least  delectable  of  their  viands;  their  bread  particu- 
larly, which  is  steamed  instead  of  baked,  is  not  tempt- 
ing; but  when  you  get  over  or  rather  through  the 
raw-looking  outside,  with  its  five  cochineal  spots  sur- 
mounting its  pyramidal  form,  it  is  very  sweet  and 
wholesome.  It  is  made  of  gray  flour,  as  the  Chi- 
nese do  not  believe  in  whitening  the  flour  as  we  do. 
They  make  delicious  creams,  as  to  consistency ;  and 
these  and  their  sweets  generally  are  much  esteemed 
by  the  foreigners. 

At  the  Palace  the  food  is  served  in  tall  dishes  of 
painted  Chinese  porcelain,  and  everything  is  placed 
upon  the  table  at  once— soups,  roast,  sweets,  all  except 
the  rice  and  macaroni.  These  latter  dishes  the  Chinese 
eat  boiling  hot,  and  they  are  kept  on  chafing-dishes 
until  served.  Each  person  has  a  bowl,  a  small  saucer, 
and  a  pair  of  chop-sticks.  A  small  square  of  very  soft 
cloth  is  used  as  a  napkin.  There  is  never  any  salt  upon 
the  table.  The  small  saucer  at  the  side  of  each  guest 
contains  a  very  salty  sauce ;  if  extra  salt  is  needed,  this 

22 


A  Chinese  Repast 

sauce  is  used.  The  Chinese  consider  powdered  salt  too 
coarse  for  seasoning  food  after  it  is  cooked ! 

They  rarely  drink  at  meals,  and  when  they  do,  only 
tiny  cups,  about  the  size  of  a  liqueur-glass,  of  heated 
wine.  This  is  poured  out  of  silver  teapots,  and  is  kept 
hot  by  being  placed  in  receptacles  containing  boiling 
water.  Their  wines  are  more  like  liqueurs  than  ours ; 
they  are  generally  distilled  with  flowers  and  herbs 
and  have  a  delightful "  bouquet."  Some  of  these  wines 
have  most  poetic  names,  such  as  "Dew  from  the 
Early  Morning  Rose,"  and  "  Drops  from  the  Hands 
of  Buddha."  The  Chinese  never  drink  cold  water,  nor 
do  they  take  tea  at  meals.  For  me,  being  a  foreigner, 
champagne  was  always  provided,  as  well  as  claret  or 
Burgundy.  The  Chinese  do  not  drink  coffee.  After 
leaving  the  table,  they  take  tea  without  milk  or  sugar. 

The  middle  of  the  day  is  set  aside  for  the  siesta,  and 
during  the  heat  of  the  summer,  every  one  goes  to  her 
apartments  for  two  hours  after  luncheon.  As  I  found 
the  Chinese  bed-cushions  too  hard  to  rest  well  upon,  I 
took  to  my  pavilion  a  foreign,  eiderdown  cushion, 
which  I  used  for  several  days,  until  one  day,  on  going 
to  my  room,  I  found  two  lovely  new  cushions  with  pale- 
blue  silk,  removable  slips.  On  touching  them,  I  found 
them  to  be  soft  and  deliciously  cool  and  fragrant  as 
well.  They  were  made  of  tea-leaves  and  had  been  sent 
as  a  present  from  the  Empress  Dowager.  I  found  them 
a  great  improvement  over  eiderdown  or  feather  cush- 
ions, especially  for  summer  use.  Though  I  did  not  care 
for  this  long  midday  rest,  I  was  forced  to  go  to  my 
room  and  remain  there,  as  there  was  nothing  else  to  do. 

When  Her  Majesty  awakes,  the  news  flashes  like  an 

23 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

electric  spark  through  all  the  Precincts  and  over  the 
whole  inclosure,  and  every  one  is  on  the  "  qui  vive  "  in 
a  moment.  The  young  Empress  and  the  Princesses  go 
up  to  Her  Majesty's  Throne-room  to  be  present  at  her 
"  lever."  When  her  afternoon  toilet  is  made,  the  Em- 
press Dowager  comes  out  of  her  private  apartments 
into  the  Throne-room  and  generally  partakes  of  some 
light  refreshment,  or  drinks  a  cup  of  tea  or  some  fruit- 
juice. 

She  gave  me  a  short  sitting  after  her  nap  this 
second  day  and  then  ordered  the  boats  for  a  row  on 
the  lakes.  Attended  by  the  young  Empress  and  Prin- 
cesses, and  with  the  usual  train  of  attendants  and  eu- 
nuchs, we  went  out  into  the  court  of  the  Throne-room, 
passed  through  a  small  pavilion  opening  directly  upon 
the  beautiful  white  marble  terrace,  with  its  quaintly 
carved  marble  balustrade,  which  stretches  all  along  the 
southern  side  of  the  lake.  Her  Majesty's  own  barge 
lay  at  the  foot  of  the  marble  steps  and  numbers  of 
other  barges  and  boats  lay  around,  forming  quite  a 
little  fleet.  She  descended  the  steps  and  entered  the 
barge.  The  young  Empress,  Princesses,  and  Ladies  fol- 
lowed. Her  Majesty  sat  in  the  yellow,  throne-like 
chair  in  the  middle  of  the  raised  platform  of  the  barge. 
The  young  Empress,  Princesses,  and  Ladies  took 
their  places  as  decreed  by  centuries-old  tradition.  They 
sat  upon  cushions  placed  upon  the  carpeted  floor  of 
the  raised  platform  of  the  barge. 

When  I  stepped  on,  Her  Majesty  motioned  me  to 
come  near  her  and  sit  at  her  right.  The  young  Empress 
was  on  her  left.  Several  of  the  high  eunuchs  stood 
at  the  back  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  chair  with  her 

24 


Boating 


extra  wraps,  bonbons,  cigarettes,  water-pipes,  etc. 
There  were  two  rowers  on  the  barge  who  stood  with 
their  long  oars  to  guide  it,  for  it  was  attached  by  great 
yellow  ropes  to  two  boats,  manned  by  twenty-four 
rowers  each,  and  was  towed  along  by  them.  Only 
the  eunuchs  of  the  highest  rank,  Her  Majesty's  per- 
sonal attendants,  went  on  the  barge  with  her,  and 
the  two  boatmen  simply  guided  it.  All  the  Palace 
boatmen  stand  to  their  oars,  for  they  cannot  sit  in  the 
presence  of  Her  Majesty,  even  though  not  upon  the 
Imperial  barge.  And  it  is  only  on  the  barge  that  the 
Empress  and  Ladies  sit  in  the  presence  of  the  Em- 
press Dowager  without  being  invited  by  her  to  do  so. 

A  number  of  flat  boats  followed  the  Imperial  barge 
with  the  army  of  eunuchs  that  go  to  make  up  the 
train  of  Their  Majesties  when  they  move  about  the 
Palace  or  grounds.  One  boat  carried  portable  stoves 
and  all  the  necessary  arrangements  for  making  tea, 
as  this  is  taken  so  frequently  by  Her  Majesty  and  the 
Ladies,  it  may  be  called  for  at  any  time. 

We  were  rowed  across  the  lake  to  one  of  the  islands ; 
and  when  we  looked  back  at  the  Palaces,  the  memo- 
rial arches,  the  temple-crowned  hills,  the  curious  camel- 
back  bridges,  and  the  beautiful  white  marble  terraces 
jutting  out  into  the  lake  with  its  islands,  the  scene 
was  indeed  fairy-like.  We  were  then  rowed  into  a 
field  of  beautiful  lotus  flowers,  and  Her  Majesty  ordered 
some  pulled  by  the  eunuchs  to  be  given  to  the  Ladies. 
She  seemed  delighted  at  my  sincere  admiration  of  this 
beautiful  water-plant,  so  dear  to  the  Chinese.  After  an 
hour  on  the  lake,  we  were  rowed  back  to  our  starting- 
point  and  disembarked.  This  time  the  Princesses  and 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Ladies  left  the  barge  first  and  stood  to  receive  the 
Empress  Dowager  when  she  landed.  When  she  had 
dined  she  asked  us  to  dine  with  the  young  Empress 
and  Ladies  at  her  table  in  her  Throne-room,  after 
which  we  made  our  adieus  and  returned  to  our  own 
Palace,  without  the  Precincts. 


!In  the  firmament  of  the  Son  of  Heaven 
A  brilliant  new  star  has  risen! — 
Supple  as  the  neck  of  the  swan 
Is  the  charm  of  her  graceful  form. 

From  the  firm  contour  of  charming  chin 
Springs  the  faultless  oval  of  her  fair  face, 
Crowned  by  the  harmonious  arch 
Of  a  broad  and  noble  brow. 

The  stately  profile,  chiseled  clear, 
Is  dominated  by  the  pure  line  of  noble  nose 
Straight  and  slender  and  singularly  mobile, 
Sensitive  to  all  the  impressions  of  the  souL 

Dewy  lips  with  gracious  curves 
Are  the  portals  of  a  dainty  mouth 
Where  often  blooms  the  sweet  flower 
Of  a  most  alluring  smile. 

Her  face  is  lit  by  black  and  sparkling  eyes, 
Whose  flames,  in  hours  of  ease, 
With  oblique  caress,  envelop  and  thrill 
That  happy  mortal  allowed  to  see. 

When  stern  circumstance  demands, 

Her  graceful  form  an  attitude  of  firmness  takes, 

The  soft  glow  of  her  brilliant  eyes 

Grows  penetrating  and  holds  one  with  proud  authority. 

O  beauty  Supreme  !  O  brilliant  Star 

Shining  but  for  the  Son  of  Heaven ! 

From  thy  glowing  soul  radiate 

Love,  daring,  hope,  intellect,  ambition,  power ! 

From  a  Chinese  poet — written  when  Her  Majesty 
was  twenty-five  years  old. 

26 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  PALACE  OP  THE  EMPEROR'S  FATHER 

(PRINCE  CH'UN,  THE  SEVENTH  PRINCE) 

rflHE  Palace  of  the  Emperor's  Father,  which  the 
_L  Empress  Dowager  had  set  aside  for  me  to  live  in 
while  I  was  at  work  on  her  portrait,  was  a  splendid 
demesne,  with  a  noble  park  and  spacious  buildings. 
It  had  been  much  injured  by  the  foreign  troops  in 
1900  and  had  been  unoccupied  since,  until  Her  Maj- 
esty decided  it  would  be  a  suitable  dwelling-place  for 
her  "  Portrait  Painter."  She  had  it  hastily  restored 
and  refurnished  for  our  occupation,  but  many  of  the 
pavilions  and  summer-houses  in  the  grounds  were  in 
ruins,  and  the  stables  but  partly  rebuilt.  Except  the 
grounds  immediately  surrounding  the  buildings  in 
which  the  Yu-Kengs  and  I  lived,  which  were  well 
kept  and  garnished,  the  greater  part  of  the  extensive 
park  was  in  a  fascinating  state  of  natural  wildness. 
The  Palace,  like  all  others  in  China,  consisted  of  a  net- 
work of  verandahed  pavilions  built  around  spacious 
courts.  There  was  a  small  Theater  with  the  Prince's 
loge  and  stalls  for  his  guests,  and  numerous  tea  and 
summer  houses  were  scattered  over  different  parts  of 
the  grounds. 

I  selected,  as  my  abiding-place,  a  charming  group 

27 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

of  buildings  in  a  walled-in  garden,  fronting  on  a  lotus- 
covered  lake,  with  a  winding  stream  at  the  back, 
spanned  by  a  picturesque  bridge.  The  principal 
pavilion  of  this  group  had  a  lofty  central  hall,  out  of 
which  opened,  on  one  side,  bedrooms  and  dressing- 
rooms,  and  on  the  other  dining-room  and  dependencies. 
Great  doors  in  the  center  of  the  hall,  which  I  had  de- 
cided to  use  as  my  living-room,  opened  on  a  wide 
verandah  which  ran  the  whole  length  of  the  building. 
Marble  steps  led  from  this  into  a  court  filled  with 
flowering  shrubs.  Two  sides  of  the  charming  court 
had  smaller  pavilions  similar  to  the  central  hall,  and 
opposite  this  latter  was  a  quaint  stone  wall,  the 
upper  part  of  tiled  lattice-work,  with  curiously  shaped 
openings  at  irregular  intervals.  In  the  center  of  this 
wall,  massive  wooden  doors  opened  out  on  a  beautiful 
terrace,  shaded  by  fine  old  elms,  over  the  lake.  It  was 
a  charming  dwelling-place,  and  this  group  of  build- 
ings soon  came  to  be  known  as  the  "  Ker-Gunia  Fu," 
"  Ker-Gunia  "  being  "  Miss  Carl "  rendered  into  Chi- 
nese, and  "  Fu  "  meaning  "  Palace,"  for  the  Chinese 
are  very  fond  of  nicknames.  I  learned  later  that 
these  pavilions  had  been  the  dwelling-place  of  the 
Seventh  Prince's  son,  the  present  Emperor  Kwang- 
Hsu,  after  he  had  been  chosen  as  Heir  to  the  Throne 
and  until  he  went  to  live  regularly  at  the  Imperial 
Palace. 

As  Her  Majesty  gave  me  my  morning  sittings  after 
the  Audience  was  finished  (which  lasted  from  eight 
A.M.  to  ten  or  eleven),  I  had  plenty  of  time,  after  my 
cup  of  tea,  to  explore  the  grounds  of  our  Palace,  and 
I  discovered  new  beauties  each  day.  The  Park  was 

28 


The  Palace  of  the  Emperor's  Father 

inclosed  by  high  walls,  for  the  Chinese  are  jealous  of 
their  privacy.  Parts  of  the  grounds  were  gently  un- 
dulating, and  all  the  eminences,  where  views  could  be 
had,  were  surmounted  by  charming  summer-houses 
and  belvederes.  In  one  of  these,  where  I  loved  to  go 
in  the  early  morning  to  refresh  myself  by  the  contem- 
plation of  the  calm  and  peaceful  lake  "beneath,  and 
drink  in  the  faint  perfume  of  the  stately  lotus  flow- 
ers, which  grew  in  rich  profusion  on  its  bosom,  I  found 
an  inscription  on  a  large  flat  stone  at  the  left  of  the 
entrance.  I  had  seen  enough  of  Chinese  characters 
to  know  the  inscription  looked  like  a  "  poem."  The 
Chinese  poem  is  rarely  more  than  a  phrase :  the  ex- 
pression, in  elegant  and  concise  form,  of  some  dainty 
fancy,  some  bit  of  philosophy,  and  is  more  properly  a 
"  verse  "  than  a  poem. 

I  found,  later,  the  inscription  on  the  stone  at  the 
entrance  of  the  summer-house  was  really  a  "  poem," 
and  had  been  written  by  no  less  a  personage  than  the 
Seventh  Prince  himself !  This  had  been  his  favorite 
place  for  rest  and  contemplation,  and  one  day,  as  he 
reclined  upon  a  cushion  at  the  entrance,  he  had  writ- 
ten this  poem  on  the  flat  stone  which  lay  conveniently 
near.  The  Chinese  write  with  a  brush  well  charged 
with  liquid  India  ink,  and  their  writing  accommo- 
dates itself  to  almost  any  surface.  Their  characters, 
one  for  each  word,  take  up  less  space  than  our  com- 
bination of  letters,  and  are  infinitely  more  pictur- 
esque !  Chinese  gentlemen,  or  some  attendant,  gen- 
erally carry  about  with  them  tablets  of  writing-ink 
and  a  brush,  and  they  thus  have  the  means  at  hand 
for  jotting  down  a  thought  as  it  comes  to  them. 

29 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

This  little  poem  had  been  written  with  a  brush,  and 
some  of  the  Prince's  followers  had  afterward  cut  the 
characters  in  the  stone,  so  that  it  became  a  permanent 
record  of  a  fleeting  thought.  It  had  evidently  been 
inspired  by  the  lotus  flowers  growing  beneath;  so 
gloriously  beautiful  to-day,  and  to-morrow  shorn  of 
their  splendor.  It  was  a  plaint  on  the  transcience  of 
worldly  glory— 


.     .     .    Which  to-day,  like  the  lotus  fair, 

Lifts  its  head  in  pride ; 
But  to-morrow  lies  low, 

Bathed  in  the  stagnant  waters  of  oblivion. 

One  day  I  came  upon  a  number  of  small  tomb- 
stones, in  a  beautiful  shady  corner,  near  the  stables. 
I  learned  that  these  marked  the  last  resting-places  of 
the  Prince's  favorite  dogs  and  horses.  Each  stone 
had  an  inscription  with  the  name,  and  extolled  the 
virtues  of  the  favorite,  whose  bones  lay  beneath  it. 
The  Prince  was  a  great  lover  of  animals,  and  is  said 
to  have  had  the  best  kennels  and  stables  of  any  of  the 
Imperial  Princes. 

In  my  morning  rambles,  I  also  of  ten  came  upon  stones 
engraved  with  some  character  or  a  phrase  from  the 
classics.  The  ideographic  Chinese  characters,  always 
picturesque,  are  doubly  so  when  deeply  engraved,  or 
standing  out  in  high  relief  on  some  rugged  stone  in  a 
charming  spot  in  the  landscape.  The  picturesque  form 
of  the  characters  is  sometimes  heightened  by  being 
painted  in  vermilion  or  gilded ;  and  the  glowing  color 
makes  a  delightful  contrast  with  the  cool  gray  of  the 

30 


The  Palace  of  the  Emperor's  Father 

stone.  Even  though  I  could  not  decipher  the  charac- 
ters, nor  read  the  phrases,  I  loved  to  come  upon  them 
in  my  morning  walks.  How  much  more  interesting 
they  must  have  been  to  the  scholarly  Chinese  who 
understood  them !  How  fine,  when  out  for  rest  and 
contemplation,  to  come  upon  some  thought  of  their 
great  Sages  cut  in  the  living  rock,  or  to  see  some 
character  meaning  "  Peace  "  or  "  Prosperity  "  stand- 
ing out,  in  bold  relief  or  glowing  color,  from  some 
shady  nook,  as  if  to  bless  him ! 

From  another  of  the  summer-houses  in  the  Park  I 
could  see  the  stone-paved  highway  leading  from  the 
Capital  to  the  Summer  Palace.  During  Their  Majesties' 
residence  at  the  Summer  Palace,  this  is  a  busy  thorough- 
fare. When  I  did  not  care  for  peaceful  contemplation 
or  quiet  rambles  over  the  grounds,  I  would  go  to  this 
summer-house,  whence  I  could  see  the  carts  and 
"  chairs  "  of  the  officials,  with  their  outriders,  going  to 
and  from  the  Palace ;  messengers  galloping  past,  bear- 
ing despatches  ;  all  sorts  of  itinerant  venders,  with  their 
wares ;  heavily  laden  wagons,  with  small  yellow  ban- 
ners flying,  which  showed  they  carried  supplies  to  the 
Palace.  Sometimes  a  group  of  horsemen  would  dash 
gaily  past,  the  retainers  of  some  splendidly  attired 
young  Prince,  who  rode  in  their  midst  on  a  red- 
saddled,  handsomely  caparisoned  horse  with  silver 
trappings.  Anon,  the  cumbersome,  red,  fringe-be- 
decked cart  of  some  Princess,  preceded  and  followed 
by  from  fifteen  to  thirty  outriders,  according  to  her 
rank  in  the  Princely  hierarchy,  the  black  carts  of  her 
women  bringing  up  the  rear. 

One  can  tell  the  rank  of  the  Chinese  from  the  out- 

31 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

sides  of  their  chairs  or  carts.  Only  a  reigning  Em- 
peror and  Empress  can  go  abroad  in  yellow  chairs. 
The  Emperor's  secondary  wives  ride  in  orange-colored 
chairs.  The  relicts  of  an  Emperor,  first  or  secon- 
dary, go  in  yellow  or  orange-colored  carts.  Princesses 
go  abroad  in  red  carts.  Mandarins  of  the  first  and 
second  degrees  ride  in  green  chairs ;  those  of  the  third 
and  fourth  in  blue  chairs ;  and  there  is  still  another 
shape  and  style  of  chair  for  the  ordinary  individual, 
who  may  prefer  a  chair  to  a  cart.  The  rank  and  file 
go  in  carts.  These  carts,  peculiar  to  Peking,  curious 
two- wheeled  vehicles  with  heavy,  iron-studded  wheels, 
are  uniformly  covered  in  blue  cloth.  The  wealth  and 
standing  of  their  occupants  are  discernible  from  the 
quality  of  the  cloth  and  its  trimmings,  and  the  rich- 
ness of  the  harness  and  trappings  of  the  mule  which 
is  always  used  in  the  Peking  carts.  The  mule  in  North 
China  is  a  magnificent  animal,  much  finer  than  the 
Chinese  horse,  which  is  only  a  pony. 

The  Seventh  Prince  (Prince  Ch'un)  must  have  been 
a  most  interesting  personality.  He  was  brother  to 
the  Emperor  Hsien-Feng,  the  husband  of  the  present 
Empress  Dowager ;  and  his  wife,  the  mother  of  the  pres- 
ent Emperor,  was  Her  Majesty's  sister.  This  Prince 
was  a  valued  friend  of  the  two  Empresses,  the  present 
Empress  Dowager  and  She  of  the  Eastern  Palace, 
while  they  were  Co-Regents  during  the  minority  of 
the  late  and  a  part  of  that  of  the  present  Emperor, 
and  he  remained,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  one  of 
the  most  trusted  advisers  of  the  Regency.  He  was 
recognized  by  foreigners,  as  well  as  by  the  Chinese,  to 
be  an  enlightened  Prince  as  well  as  a  man  of  fine 

32 


The  Palace  of  the  Emperor's  Father 

character.  The  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  may 
have  had  something  to  do  with  the  choice  of  his  sec- 
ond son  as  the  Successor  of  the  late  Emperor  Tung- 
Chih,  who  died  childless.  The  Chinese  Emperors  and 
their  Council  may  choose  the  Successor  to  the 
Throne.  If  there  be  but  one  son,  he  is  chosen  as  the 
next  Heir ;  if  there  be  a  number,  a  selection  may  be 
made  from  them  of  the  one  seeming  to  be  most  suited 
for  the  exalted  position.  If  there  be  no  sons,  the 
Successor  is  chosen  from  the  nephews  without  refer- 
ence to  their  age  or  to  their  being  the  sons  of  an 
elder  or  younger  brother.  The  present  Emperor's 
Father,  Prince  Ch'un,  was  the  seventh  brother  of  the 
Emperor  Hsien-Feng,  hence  his  Chinese  name  of 
"  Seventh  Prince." 


33 


CHAPTER  IV 

HER  MAJESTY'S  THRONE-ROOM— SOME  PERSONAL 
CHARACTERISTICS 

WE  arrived  at  the  Palace  in  good  time  the  next 
morning,  as  Her  Majesty  and  suite  were  com- 
ing out  of  the  Great  Audience  Hall.  She  greeted  us 
with  a  charming  smile  and  made  her  usual  inquiry  for 
my  health.  We  joined  her  suite  and  went  along  to 
the  Throne-room  where  the  portrait  had  been  begun. 
This  Throne-room  is  a  very  spacious  and  lofty  hall ; 
one  side  of  the  great  room  is  almost  entirely  of  glass, 
with  only  the  wooden  columns  that  support  the  roof 
between  the  windows— the  lower  half  of  plate-glass, 
the  upper  of  lattice-work  with  Corean  paper  as  shades. 
In  the  center  of  this  side  of  windows  is  a  huge  plate- 
glass  door,  reaching  from  ceiling  to  floor.  The  other 
three  sides  of  the  hall,  which  separate  it  from  the 
apartments  at  the  side  and  back,  are  of  the  same 
beautiful,  open  woodwork  carving  I  have  mentioned  as 
serving  as  partitions  in  my  pavilion.  Those  in  Her 
Majesty's  Throne-room  were,  however,  of  greater 
delicacy  of  workmanship  and  were  more  beautiful  as 
to  the  painted  panels.  The  poems,  written  on  white 
silk,  and  alternating  with  the  painted  panels,  were 
from  Her  Majesty's  favorite  authors,  original  poems 

34 


Her  Majesty's  Throne-room 

written  by  an  Emperor  or  Empress,  or  laudatory 
verses  dedicated  to  Her  Majesty.  There  were  satin 
portieres  at  the  doorways,  and  blue  silk  curtains  over 
the  plate-glass  windows.  Blue,  being  the  Empress 
Dowager's  favorite  color,  is  used  for  all  the  hangings 
in  the  Palaces  which  are  not  intended  for  official  pur- 
poses ;  where  yellow  is  the  color. 

On  the  right  of  the  Throne-room  is  a  small  chapel 
with  an  altar,  over  which  presides  a  figure  of  the  con- 
templative Buddha  seated  on  the  lotus.  This  altar 
was  always  sweet  with  offerings  of  fresh  flowers  and 
fruit.  In  front  of  the  figure  of  Buddha  stood  the 
incense-burner,  with  perfumes  constantly  burning. 
On  the  left  of  the  Throne-room  are  Her  Majesty's 
sleeping  apartments,  and  behind  the  openwork  parti- 
tion at  the  back  of  the  hall  is  a  large  ante-chamber 
where  the  attendants  and  Ladies  await  their  turn 
to  make  their  entrance  into  the  Throne-room.  In  the 
rear  of  the  hall  is  a  magnificent  five-leaved  screen  of 
teakwood,  inlaid  with  lapis  lazuli,  chalcedony,  and 
many  other  semi-precious  stones.  In  front  of  this 
screen,  on  a  dais,  stood  an  immense,  couch-like  throne, 
with  a  large  footstool.  These  couch-like  thrones,  where 
Their  Celestial  Majesties  may  recline  when  holding 
Audiences,  are  not  at  all  favored  by  the  Empress 
Dowager,  who  always  sits  extremely  erect,  without 
leaning  upon  a  cushion  or  the  back  of  the  throne.  Ex- 
cept in  the  Great  Audience  Hall,  where  she  uses  the 
traditional  throne  of  state  of  the  Dynasty,  she  prefers 
a  much  lighter  and  quite  modern  one,  which  she 
has  introduced  into  the  Palaces.  The  thrones  favored 
by  Her  Majesty  are  of  open  carved  teakwood,  circular 

35 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

in  form,  with  cushions  of  Imperial  yellow.  One  of 
these  stood  in  the  front  part  of  this  hall,  on  which 
she  sat  for  the  portrait. 

The  great  throne,  which  I  have  described  above, 
was  hence  relegated  to  the  back  of  the  Throne-room 
and  kept  for  the  sake  of  tradition,  but  never  used  by 
Her  Majesty.  On  either  side  of  it  stood  two  immense, 
processional  fans  of  peafowl  feathers,  with  ebony 
handles  placed  in  magnificent  cloisonne  supports. 
Superb  cloisonne  vases  stood  at  either  side  of  these 
ceremonial  fans ;  and  huge  bowls  of  rare  old  porcelain 
held  pyramids  of  fruits— apples,  sweet-smelling 
quince,  and  the  highly  perfumed  "  Buddha's  hand." 

And  there  were  flowers  everywhere !  It  was  the 
season  of  the  year  when  bloomed  a  sort  of  orchid,  of 
delicious  fragrance,  of  which  Her  Majesty  is  very 
fond.  These  were  growing  in  rare  porcelain  jardinieres, 
placed  at  intervals  around  the  hall.  There  were  also 
vases  of  lotus  flowers  and  bowls  of  lilies.  The  com- 
bined odors  of  all  these  fruits  and  flowers  gave  a 
subtle,  composite  perfume  quite  indescribable  and 
delightful,  but  not  at  all  overpowering,  for  the  Em- 
press Dowager  is  so  fond  of  fresh  air  that  there  are 
always  windows  open  in  the  Palace,  even  in  the  coldest 
weather. 

Aside  from  the  fruits  and  flowers,  clocks  were  the 
dominant  feature  of  this  Throne-room,  as  well  as  of 
every  other  one  I  ever  went  into  in  any  of  the  Chinese 
Palaces.  The  love  of  the  Chinese  for  clocks  and 
timepieces  is  well  known,  and  there  are  thousands 
in  each  of  the  Palaces  I  visited.  In  this  Throne-room 
there  were,  as  I  have  said  before,  eighty-five: 

36 


Her  Majesty's  Throne-room 

magnificent  jeweled  and  gold  clocks,  and  specimens 
of  all  the  varieties  that  were  ever  made ;  some  with 
chimes  j  some  with  crowing  cocks  and  singing-birds ; 
some  with  running  water ;  some  with  musical-box  at- 
tachments, and  others  with  processions  of  figures  that 
came  out  at  every  hour  and  moved  around  the  dial ; 
some  rare  works  of  art  and  some  commonplace  ex- 
amples of  the  clockmaker's  trade.  There  are  many 
foreign  ornaments  in  the  Palace,  but,  aside  from  the 
clocks  and  watches,  Her  Majesty  the  Empress 
Dowager  does  not  seem  to  care  much  for  European 
"  objets  de  virtu."  Unfortunately,  what  they  have  at 
the  Palaces,  aside  from  a  few  presents  from  European 
sovereigns,  are  generally  very  poor  specimens  of 
European  art,  and  compare  but  lamentably  with  the 
beautiful  Chinese  curios.  They  are  principally  cheap 
modern  stuff,  bought  by  the  Chinese  nobles  when 
abroad  and  sent  as  presents  to  Their  Majesties. 
These  presents,  when  they  are  accepted,  are  placed  in 
apartments  of  the  Palace  not  in  general  use. 

When  Her  Majesty  had  her  official  garments  re- 
moved (she  always  changed  her  dress  after  the  morn- 
ing Audience),  and  when  the  portrait  had  been  placed 
upon  the  easel,  she  came  over  to  look  at  it.  After 
studying  it  for  some  time,  she  concluded  that  the  nail- 
protectors  on  both  hands  were  not  artistic,  and  that 
she  would  have  the  gold  ones  (set  with  pearls  and 
rubies)  taken  off,  and  show  the  uncovered  nails  on  the 
right  hand.  I  was  delighted  at  this  decision,  for  the 
nail-protectors  destroyed  the  symmetry  of  the  hand 
and  hid  the  beautiful  tips  of  her  fingers.  I  had,  of 
course,  not  presumed  to  make  any  suggestions  as  to 

37 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

her  costume  or  ornaments.  As  the  nail-shields  are 
characteristic  of  the  high-class  Chinese  ladies,  it  was 
well  to  have  them  on  one  hand. 

After  this  change  had  been  decided  upon,  she  went 
over  to  a  great  vase,  standing  near,  and  took  from  it 
a  lotus  flower,  held  it  up,  in  a  charmingly  graceful 
way,  and  asked  me  if  that  would  not  be  pretty  in  the 
portrait,  adding  that  the  lotus  was  one  of  her  attri- 
butes. As  the  color  did  not  harmonize  with  the  gen- 
eral scheme,  I  did  not  care  for  this  suggestion,  but 
temporized  by  saying  "  I  was  not  ready  to  put  it  in 
then."  After  a  little  more  than  an  hour's  work,  with 
the  usual  interruptions,  she  decided  that  enough  had 
been  done  for  that  morning.  When  I  suggested  that 
I  might  work  even  after  Her  Majesty  was  tired,  she 
said  "  No,"  that  if  she  were  tired  sitting  still,  I  could 
not  fail  to  be  more  so  doing  the  work  and  standing 
as  I  did.  She  said  there  was  no  hurry,  that  I  had 
plenty  of  time  to  finish  the  picture,  and  must  not  run 
the  risk  of  making  myself  ill. 

After  a  short  sitting  in  the  afternoon  Her  Majesty 
ordered  the  boats,  and  we  went  out  to  the  marble 
terrace,  beneath  which  lay  moored  the  Palace  fleet, 
manned  by  blue-gowned  oarsmen.  We  again  took 
the  Imperial  barge,  the  Empress  Dowager  in  the  cen- 
ter, on  her  yellow  chair,  the  young  Empress  and  Prin- 
cesses sitting  around,  Turkish  fashion,  on  cushions. 
The  barge,  drawn  along  by  the  two  great  boats,  glided 
as  gently  as  a  swan  over  the  still  waters  of  the  lake. 
The  air  was  soft  and  balmy.  Two  of  the  eunuchs  were 
ordered  to  sing,  and  the  minor  chords  of  a  curious  air 
mingled  their  rhythm  with  the  soft  swish  of  the  water. 

38 


Some  Personal  Characteristics 

Beyond  us  lay  the  hills,  the  beautiful  Western  Hills, 
unchanging  in  form,  but  ever  varying  in  color— some- 
times blurred  and  gray,  or  a  soft,  warm  violet ;  again 
a  clear,  deep  blue,  as  if  hewn  out  of  lapis  lazuli,  and  now 
and  then,  as  a  cloud  passed  over  the  sun,  dark  and 
threatening  almost.  I  drank  in  deep  breaths  of  delight ! 

The  quaint  picturesqueness  of  the  marble-terraced 
banks,  the  summer-houses,  the  green  and  yellow  tiled 
roofs,  the  vermilion  walls  and  lacquered  columns  of 
the  buildings,  the  curious  fleet  silently  moving  along, 
the  eunuchs  singing,  the  Empress  Dowager  sitting  in 
state  surrounded  by  her  Ladies,  the  camel-back  bridges 
— everything  was  strange,  and,  stranger  still,  I  formed 
a  part  of  this  curious  pageant !  Only  the  beautiful 
hills  beyond  seemed  familiar. 

After  drifting  about  for  some  time,  we  landed  and 
went  into  the  orchards  and  among  the  apple  trees. 
The  apple  is  a  favorite  fruit  of  the  Chinese,  and  es- 
teemed as  much  for  its  fragrance  as  its  taste.  It  is 
emblematic  of  Peace  and  Prosperity,  and  is  always 
placed  among  the  offerings  to  Buddha,  hence  has  also 
a  sacred  quality;  but,  though  beautiful  in  form  and 
color,  the  Chinese  apple  has  very  little  taste,  and  the 
least  savor  of  any  of  their  fruits. 

Her  Majesty  walked  about  among  the  trees  and 
ordered  several  apples  gathered,  which  she  ate  with 
greater  relish  than  I  could,  for  she  graciously  of- 
fered me  one,  and  then  told  me  to  pull  some  for  my- 
self. A  eunuch  brought  a  basket  and  took  them  as  I 
gathered  them,  and  she  told  me  to  have  them  taken 
to  my  own  apartments. 

From  the  orchard  she  continued  her  walk  to  the 

39 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

flower  gardens,  where  she  picked  some  small  blooms 
and  placed  them  behind  her  ears,  Spanish  fashion, 
telling  the  Ladies  to  do  likewise,  and  herself  choosing 
some  for  me  and  placing  them  over  my  ears.  I 
knew  these  little  marks  of  favor  she  showed  me 
were  not  due  so  much  to  regard  for  me  as  to  her  de- 
sire to  make  the  "  stranger  "  feel  at  home.  She  hoped 
by  showing  me  these  special  favors  to  insure  a 
similar  treatment  of  me  by  the  Ladies  and  eunuchs. 
I  have  already  alluded  to  Her  Majesty's  love  of 
flowers.  This  was  the  one  of  her  characteristics 
which^  seemed  most  incompatible  with  the  idea  I  had 
formed  of  her  from  what  I  had  heard,  and  her  love  of 
flowers  and  all  nature  caused  me  first  to  change  that 
idea.  It  seemed  to  me  no  one  could  love  flowers  and  na- 
ture as  she  did  and  be  the  woman  she  had  been  painted. 
She  had  flowers  always  about  her.  Her  private 
apartments,  her  Throne-rooms,  her  loge  at  the  The- 
ater, even  the  Great  Audience  Hall  where  she  only 
went  to  transact  affairs  of  state  and  hold  official 
Audiences,  all  were  decorated  with  a  profusion  of 
flowers,  cut  and  growing— never,  though,  of  but  one 
kind  at  a  time.  She  wears  natural  flowers  in  her  coif- 
fure always,  winter  and  summer,  and  however  care- 
worn or  harassed  she  might  be,  she  seemed  to  find 
solace  in  flowers !  She  would  hold  a  flower  to  her  face, 
drink  in  its  fragrance  and  caress  it  as  if  it  were  a  sen- 
tient thing.  She  would  go  herself  among  the  flowers 
that  filled  her  rooms,  and  place,  with  lingering  touch, 
some  fair  bloom  in  a  better  light  or  turn  a  jardiniere 
so  that  the  growing  plant  might  have  a  more  favor- 
able position. 

40 


THE   PRINCESS   IMPERIAL.  FIRST   LADY  OF   THE   COURT 
A  PRINCESS   IN  WINTER   COSTUME      A   PRINCESS   IN   SUMMER  COSTUME 


PRINCESSES  OF  THE  COURT 


Some  Personal  Characteristics 

The  Chinese  do  not  place  certain  cut  flowers  in 
water,  but  keep  them  dry  in  bowls  or  vases,  to  get 
their  full  fragrance.  The  Empress  Dowager  had  some 
quaint  conceits  about  the  arrangements  of  these.  She 
would  have  the  corollas  of  the  lily  bloom  or  the  fra- 
grant jasmine  placed  in  shallow  bowls  in  curious, 
star-like  designs,  beautiful  to  look  at,  as  well  as  most 
fragrant. 

Her  passion  for  flowers  being  generally  known 
among  the  courtiers,  Princes,  and  high  officials,  they 
send  daily  offerings  to  the  Palace  of  all  that  is  rare  and 
choice  in  the  way  of  plants  and  flowers,  for  they  know 
this  is  one  present  Her  Majesty  will  always  accept  and 
appreciate. 

There  are  some  quaint  customs  in  the  Palace,  as  to 
flowers  and  fruits  that  grow  within  the  Precincts. 
Though  the  Princesses  and  Ladies  have  the  freedom 
of  the  gardens  and  may  pull  as  many  flowers  and  cull 
as  many  fruits  as  they  wish,  it  is  not  etiquette  for 
them  to  gather  the  smallest  flower  or  to  touch  a  fruit 
when  in  the  presence  of  the  Empress  Dowager,  unless 
they  are  especially  told  to  do  so.  When  Her  Majesty 
tells  them  to  pull  a  flower  or  fruit,  the  permission  is 
gratefully  accepted  and  that  special  flower  or  fruit 
religiously  kept.  The  first  fruits  of  every  tree  and 
vegetable,  the  first  flowers  of  every  plant  and  growing 
shrub  in  the  Palace  grounds,  are  considered  sacred  to 
Their  Majesties,  and  no  Princess,  attendant,  or  eunuch 
would  touch  a  flower  or  fruit  until  the  Empress  Dowager 
had  been  presented  with  the  first  of  them.  All  these, 
apparently  trivial,  marks  of  respect  to  the  Sacred  Per- 
sons of  Their  Majesties  were  religiously  observed ! 

41 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  YOUNG  EMPRESS  AND  LADIES  OF  THE  COURT 

THE  young  Empress,  the  first  Lady  of  the  Court 
after  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager,  was, 
to  me,  a  charming  character.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
the  Duke  Chow,  General  of  one  of  the  Manchu  Banner 
Corps  and  a  brother  of  the  reigning  Empress  Dowager. 
She  is  thus  a  first  cousin  of  the  Emperor,  and  is  his 
senior  by  three  years.  Her  mother,  a  lady  of  high 
birth,  ancient  lineage,  and  great  distinction,  brought 
her  up  with  much  care.  She  also  had  the  advantage 
of  being  a  great  deal  at  the  Court  with  her  august 
Aunt,  and  is  highly  accomplished,  according  to  Chinese 
standards.  She  was  affianced  at  an  early  age  to  the 
Emperor,  but,  as  the  custom  is,  their  marriage  did 
not  take  place  for  several  years  later.  It  was  cele- 
brated with  great  pomp  at  the  Winter  Palace  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1889,  the  week  before  the  young  Emperor  him- 
self took  in  hand  the  reins  of  Government,  held,  up 
to  that  time,  by  the  Empress  Dowager,  and  became 
Emperor  in  reality. 

The  young  Empress  has  the  erect  carriage  and  light, 
swift  walk  of  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager. 
She  is  small,  not  quite  five  feet  tall,  with  exquisitely 
dainty  hands  and  feet,  of  most  patrician  type.  She 

42 


The  Young  Empress 

has  a  narrow,  high-bred  face,  with  a  thin,  high 
nose.  Her  eyes  are  more  of  the  Chinese  type,  as  we 
conceive  it,  than  either  the  Emperor's  or  Empress 
Dowager's.  Her  chin  is  long  and  of  the  type  gener- 
ally called  strong.  Her  mouth  is  large  and  extremely 
sensitive.  Her  eyes  have  so  kindly  a  look,  her  face 
shines  with  so  sweet  an  expression,  criticism  is  dis- 
armed and  she  seems  beautiful.  She  has  a  sweet  dig- 
nity, charming  manners,  and  a  lovable  nature,  but  there 
is  sometimes  a.  look  in  her  eyes  of  patient  resignation 
that  is  almost  pathetic.  I  should  not  say  she  pos- 
sessed any  great  executive  ability,  though  full  of  tact, 
but  while  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager  was  in 
retirement  and  she  was  the  first  Lady  at  Court,  she  is 
said  to  have  shown  great  capability  in  her  conduct  of 
affairs.  Her  dignity,  perfect  breeding,  and  natural 
kindness  of  heart  would  insure  this. 

The  next  Lady,  after  the  young  Empress,  is  the  only 
secondary  wife  of  the  Emperor.  She  is  said  to  have 
been  extremely  beautiful  at  the  time  she  was  chosen 
as  his  second  wife  by  the  Empress  Dowager.  She 
belongs  to  an  excellent  family,  being  the  daughter  of  a 
Viceroy,  but  though  only  twenty-eight  years  old  when 
I  knew  her,  she  was  already  very  stout,  and  there  were 
few  remains  visible  of  great  beauty.  She  has  very 
large,  full-orbed,  brown  eyes,  and  still  has  a  beautifully 
clear  complexion,  but  her  nose  is  flat,  her  mouth  large 
and  weak ;  the  contour  of  her  face  is  marred  by  layers 
of  flesh,  her  forehead  does  not  indicate  much  intelli- 
gence, and  she  has  very  little  distinction  in  appear- 
ance. She  seems  good-natured,  but  is  neither  very 
clever  nor  tactful.  She  is  not  a  favorite  among  the 

43 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Ladies  generally,  and  is  not  nearly  so  interesting,  in 
any  way,  as  the  young  Empress.  She  is,  however, 
treated  with  the  most  kindly  consideration  by  the 
young  Empress  and  has  precedence  over  all  the  other 
Ladies,  and  her  position  at  Court  is  second  only  to 
that  of  the  young  Empress.  Whenever  I  mention  the 
young  Empress,  it  may  be  understood  that  the  second- 
ary wife  followed  immediately  after  her,  coming  before 
the  Princesses  or  any  other  of  the  Ladies  forming  the 
Court  of  Her  Majesty.  I  have  often  seen  allusions 
made  to  the  "  Imperial  Harem  " ;  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  an  Imperial  Harem  at  the  Court  of  His  Majesty  the 
Emperor  Kwang-Hsu.  He  has  only  these  two  wives. 
Her  Majesty's  Ladies-in-waiting  are  principally 
Princesses  of  the  Blood  or  the  widows  of  Imperial 
Princes.  Her  first  Lady,  Sih-Gerga  (Fourth  Princess), 
daughter  of  Prince  Ching,  the  Prime  Minister,  is  a 
widow  of  twenty-four.  She  married,  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, a  son  of  a  high  Manchu  official,  Viceroy  of 
Tientsin,  and  was  left  a  widow  a  few  months  later. 
She  is  a  beautiful  young  woman,  with  face  a  perfect 
oval,  large  brown  eyes,  and  a  clear,  magnolia-leaf  com- 
plexion of  exquisite  texture.  She  would  be  called 
beautiful,  judged  by  any  standard.  She  has  no  chil- 
dren of  her  own,  but,  like  most  ladies  of  position  who 
are  widows  or  childless,  has  an  adopted  son.  Adopted 
children  in  China  are  much  closer  relationships  than 
is  a  child,  by  adoption,  with  us.  In  many  instances 
their  own  parents  are  still  living  when  they  are 
adopted,  and  even  these  parents  speak  of  their  child 
as  the  son  of  the  adopted  mother  or  parents,  and  bow 
to  her  wishes  in  bringing  up  the  child. 

44 


',> 
<:• 


THE  YOUNG   EMPRESS  YE-HO-NA-LAH 
First  Wife  of  the  Emperor  of  China 


The  Young  Empress 

The  next  two  Ladies  of  the  Court  are  two  Duchesses 
—also  widows.  Widows  in  China  never  remarry,  or  if 
they  do,  they  lose  caste  and  reputation.  They  are  not 
sacrificed  on  the  funeral  pyres  of  their  departed  hus- 
bands, as  in  India;  but  a  voluntary  suicide  on  the 
part  of  a  widow  in  China  is  still  looked  upon  as  a 
noble  act.  A  widow  who  remains  faithful  to  the 
memory  of  her  husband  during  a  long  life  is  rewarded 
by  the  greatest  respect  and  consideration  during  her 
life,  and  honored  after  death. 

If  a  girl  prefers  to  remain  unmarried,  if  a 
widow  remains  faithful  to  the  memory  of  her 
husband,  she  is  honored  after  her  death  with  much 
pomp  and  ceremony!  And  great  memorial  arches 
are  erected  in  her  memory!  All  over  China,  one 
is  constantly  coming  upon  these  arches  to  widows 
and  virgins.  If  the  family  is  not  sufficiently  wealthy 
to  raise  these  monuments  themselves,  public  subscrip- 
tions are  taken,  all  the  relatives  contribute,  and  often 
the  inhabitants  of  the  village  or  the  country  where  the 
heroine  lived  beg  to  be  allowed  to  have  their  part  in 
raising  a  monument  to  her  memory.  These  arches,  of 
stone  or  wood,  are  elaborately  carved,  sometimes  with 
remarkable  sculptures  of  fabulous  animals,  flowers, 
and  thousands  of  birds  of  every  kind  (these  latter 
showing  the  immortality  the  soul  has  acquired). 
Across  the  entablature  of  the  arch,  cut  deep  into 
the  stone  or  wood,  and  gilded  or  painted  in  glowing 
vermilion,  shines  the  name  of  the  virgin  or  widow 
to  whom  it  is  erected,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  arch  is 
inscribed  an  account  of  her  virtuous  acts. 

A  girl  is  sometimes  affianced  at  the  early  age  of 

45 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

from  six  to  eight  years,  and  the  affianced  is  from  that 
time  spoken  of  as  her  husband.  Should  he  die  before 
they  marry,  which  is  never  earlier  than  sixteen  for 
the  bride,  she  is  considered  a  "  widow,"  and  must 
henceforth  live  the  life  of  a  recluse.  She  can  never 
marry  any  one  else.  She  may  adopt  a  son,  who  will 
call  her  "  mother  " ;  but  she  may  never  hope  for  the 
joys  of  family  life  of  her  own,  without  calling  down 
upon  her  head  the  obloquy  of  all  whose  respect  she 
desires.  She  wears  deep  mourning  the  first  three 
years  after  his  death,  and  then  second  mourning ;  and 
she  can  never  again  put  on  the  festive  red,  joyous 
green,  or  any  other  color  except  blue  or  violet— second 
mourning. 

The  Northern  Chinese  and  the  Manchu  ladies  use  a 
great  deal  of  paint  and  powder  on  their  faces ;  but  a 
widow  can  never  add  one  artificial  iota  to  the  rose  of 
her  cheek,  to  the  cherry  of  her  lips,  or  the  lily  of  her 
brow.  She  can  nevermore  use  paint  or  powder.  In 
most  instances  the  Chinese  ladies  are  but  the  prettier 
for  this,  for  they  have  beautiful  skins,  and  the  use  of 
powder  and  paint  is  carried  to  such  an  excess  as  to  be 
quite  unnatural. 

There  are  only  eight  of  Her  Majesty's  Ladies  who 
live  always  in  the  Palace,  but  this  number  is  increased 
about  four  times  on  festive  occasions.  The  Princess 
Imperial,  the  Empress  Dowager's  adopted  daughter, 
is  the  first  of  the  Princesses  at  Court,  and,  when  she 
comes  to  the  Palace,  ranks  next  to  the  Empress  and 
the  secondary  wife  of  the  Emperor. 

One  evening,  at  dinner,  in  the  Throne-room,  Sih- 
Gerga  undertook  to  tell  me  the  relationships  of  the 

46 


The  Young  Empress 

different  Princesses  to  each  other  and  to  the  young 
Empress.  Incidentally,  this  made  them  related  to  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress  Dowager,  but  neither  of 
Their  Majesties'  names  was  mentioned  in  this  connec- 
tion, for  such  would  have  been  a  great  piece  of  pre- 
sumption, amounting  almost  to  sacrilege.  They  might 
be  related,  but  no  Princess  would  dare  mention  such 
a  thing.  It  would  be  against  all  the  laws  of  Chinese 
proprieties.  I  found,  after  this  explanation  of  Sih- 
Gerga's,  that  the  Ladies  were  all  related  by  consan- 
guinity or  marriage  to  each  other  and  to  the  young 
Empress. 

There  are  a  number  of  tiring-women  and  maids  in 
the  Palace  who  are  called  by  outsiders  "slaves";  but 
they  are  not  slaves,  or,  if  they  are  so,  it  is  but  for  a 
time,  a  space  of  ten  years.  Every  spring,  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  lowest  of  the  Manchu  families,  the  Seventh 
and  Eighth  Banners,  are  brought  into  the  Palace  to 
be  chosen  from,  by  the  Empress  and  Empress  Dow- 
ager, for  maids  and  tiring- women.  One  day,  on 
going  to  the  Palace,  I  saw  a  number  of  ordinary  carts 
near  one  of  the  Postern  Gates,  and  I  learned  they  had 
brought  crowds  of  these  girls  of  the  families  of  the 
Eighth  Banner.  They  are  first  passed  in  review  by 
the  Head  Eunuch,  and  he  selects  from  them,  those  he 
thinks  may  please  Her  Majesty.  These  pass  before 
her,  and  she  tells  the  Head  Eunuch  which  ones  are  to 
remain  in  the  Palace.  They  are  brought  to  the  Palace 
from  the  ages  of  ten  to  sixteen  years.  They  remain 
in  service  for  ten  years,  after  which  time  they  are 
allowed  to  return  to  their  families ;  and  in  case  they 
have  been  satisfactory  and  pleased  Their  Majesties, 

47 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

they  are  given  a  comfortable  dot  and  are  provided  with 
a  handsome  marriage  outfit,  which  causes  them  to  make 
much  better  marriages  than  they  would  otherwise  do. 
During  their  so-called  ten  years'  slavery  in  the  Palace, 
they  live  upon  the  fat  of  the  land,  have  beautiful 
clothes  and  many  advantages.  They  wear,  while  in 
Her  Majesty's  service,  blue  gowns,  with  their  hair 
plainly  parted  at  the  side  and  braided  in  a  single  long 
braid  (tied  with  red  silk  cords),  which  hangs  down  the 
back.  They  wear  bunches  of  flowers  over  each  ear. 
The  young  Empress  and  secondary  wife,  as  well  as 
each  of  the  Princesses,  have  their  own  maids  and 
tiring-women,  who  remain  in  the  private  quarters  of 
these  Ladies. 

Besides  these  young  maids,  there  are  in  the  Palace  a 
number  of  old  women,  servants  of  Her  Majesty,  who 
have  been  married  and  have  children ;  these  overlook 
the  younger  women,  direct  the  work  of  the  lower 
eunuchs,  and  are  in  a  position  somewhat  similar  to 
housekeepers  with  us.  Among  these  is  a  Chinese 
woman  who  nursed  Her  Majesty  through  a  long  ill- 
ness, about  twenty-five  years  since,  and  saved  her  life 
by  giving  her  mother's  milk  to  drink.  Her  Majesty, 
who  never  forgets  a  favor,  has  always  kept  this 
woman  in  the  Palace.  Being  a  Chinese,  she  had 
bound  feet.  Her  Majesty,  who  cannot  bear  to  see 
them  even,  had  her  feet  unbound  and  carefully 
treated,  until  now  she  can  walk  comfortably.  Her 
Majesty  has  educated  the  son,  who  was  an  infant  at 
the  time  of  her  illness,  and  whose  natural  nourish- 
ment she  partook  of.  This  young  man  is  already  a 
Secretary  in  a  good  yamen  (Government  Office). 

48 


The  Young  Empress 

No  Chinese  lady  of  position  ever  dresses  herself  or 
combs  her  own  hair,  and  she  generally  has  three  or 
four  personal  maids.  These  are,  in  many  instances, 
bought  outright  from  their  parents,  and  might  be 
considered  really  slaves;  but  they  are  treated  with 
great  consideration  and  even  friendliness  by  their 
mistresses,  and  have  in  most  instances  a  happy  lot. 
As  these  maids  are  bought  when  they  and  their  mis- 
tresses are  children,  they  grow  up  together,  and 
though  the  maid  never  forgets  the  respect  due  her 
mistress,  they  are  on  a  much  more  friendly  footing 
than  mistress  and  maid  could  ever  be  in  Europe  in 
such  cases. 

The  first  of  a  lady's  maids  stands  behind  her  at 
table,  no  matter  how  many  servitors  there  may  be ; 
goes  out  with  her,  sits  with  her,  and  sleeps  either  in 
her  room  or  at  her  door,  and  is  almost  her  constant 
companion.  When  the  time  comes  for  them  to  marry, 
they  are  given  a  comfortable  outfit  by  their  mis- 
tresses, and  are  cared  for  to  the  third  and  fourth 
generation;  but  the  children  of  the  so-called  slaves 
are  free,  unless  the  mother  or  parents  decide,  of  their 
own  free  will,  to  sell  them,  as  they  have  been  sold,  to 
some  good  family, 


49 


CHAPTER  VI 

CONTINUATION  OP  THE  PORTRAIT— HER  MAJESTY'S 
DOGS 

I  HAD  daily  morning  sittings  from  Her  Majesty 
for  the  portrait,  but  always  surrounded  by  the 
whole  Court,  with  eunuchs  coming  and  going.  The 
sittings  were  long  enough,  for  I  had  an  hour  in  the 
morning  and  a  half -hour  in  the  afternoon  with  Her 
Majesty,  but  she  did  not  expect  me  to  work  except 
when  she  posed,  and  this  was  not  enough  to  make  any 
headway  on  the  picture,  as  there  was  a  great  deal  I 
might  have  done  at  other  times.  Though  there  was 
so  much  going  and  coming  in  the  Throne-room,  it  was 
a  great  advantage  working  in  Her  Majesty's  own 
"  milieu,"  surrounded  by  her  favorite  furniture,  flowers, 
and  fruits.  This  was  some  compensation ;  but  I  saw, 
if  Her  Majesty  insisted  upon  my  resting  when  she 
did— if  I  were  allowed  to  work  only  in  the  Throne- 
room  and  only  when  she  posed— the  work  could  not  go 
on  as  it  should.  Sitting  for  her  portrait  seemed  to  be 
looked  on  somewhat  in  the  light  of  an  amusement  by 
the  Empress  Dowager,  as  a  time  for  conversation  and 
relaxation.  She  put  me  many  questions  while  she 
sat,  and  I  felt  she  was  studying  me  as  closely  as  I  was 
studying  her  during  that  time. 

5° 


Continuation  of  the  Portrait 

My  interest  in  the  personality  of  this  wonderful 
woman  increased  each  day.  I  loved  to  watch  the  ex- 
treme mobility  of  her  countenance  when  she  was  at 
ease  and  was  not  invested  in  her  official  expression, 
nor  her  Buddha-like  pose.  Her  voice  was  most  musi- 
cal, with  no  indication  of  age  in  it.  Her  enunciation 
was  clear,  and  I  loved  to  hear  her  talk.  Though  un- 
derstanding but  little  of  what  she  said,  the  music  of 
her  voice,  the  grace  of  her  gesticulations,  and  the 
charm  of  her  smile  made  her  conversation  most  de- 
lightful to  watch  and  listen  to. 

I  was  delighted  that  Her  Majesty  seemed  to  like 
me,  and  I  appreciated  her  consideration  in  not  wish- 
ing me  to  tire  myself  out  with  my  work,  and  her  kind 
hospitality  which  desired  to  make  me  acquainted  with 
the  charms  of  the  Summer  Palace  and  which  allowed 
me  to  participate  in  her  promenades  and  the  simple 
amusements  of  her  Ladies ;  but  I  felt  it  was  important 
to  advance  the  work  on  the  portrait  as  quickly  as  possi- 
ble. I  knew  that  the  "  favor  of  kings  "  is  uncertain, 
and  I  feared  Her  Majesty  might  soon  tire  of  this 
new  departure,  of  having  her  portrait  painted!  I 
feared  the  openly  expressed  opposition  of  the  Chinese 
to  a  foreign  lady  being  made  a  member  of  the  Court 
circle,  their  superstition  regarding  the  painting  of  a 
portrait  of  one  of  Their  Majesties,  which  was  against 
all  Chinese  tradition,  might  any  day  put  a  stop  to  the 
work ;  but,  notwithstanding  my  fears  and  my  desire  to 
work,  the  days  passed  with  little  painting,  and  this 
was  the  only  flaw  in  my  perfect  enjoyment  of  the 
fairy-like  days  and  the  unique  experiences  through 
which  I  was  passing. 

51 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

The  walks  with  Her  Majesty  had  all  the  pomp  and 
ceremony  of  the  boat-rides— Her  Majesty's  and  the 
Empress's  yellow-satin  sedan-chairs,  with  their  six 
bearers,  leading  off,  followed  by  the  red  chairs  of  the 
Princesses  and  Ladies-in-waiting,  according  to  their 
rank,  with  a  rigorous  adherence  to  precedence,  and  at- 
tended by  an  army  of  eunuchs  and  chair-bearers,  etc. 
No  one  ever  knew  what  our  destination  was  to  be 
when  we  started  out  on  these  walks,  Her  Majesty 
directing  her  chair-bearers  as  she  was  carried  along, 
and  the  others  following  this  lead ;  but  we  were  always 
taken  to  some  interesting  spot,  where  there  was  some- 
thing quite  worth  seeing.  When  Her  Majesty's  chair 
stopped,  all  the  others  were  immediately  put  down  by 
the  bearers,  and  the  Ladies  got  out  and  went  up  to 
where  the  Empress  Dowager's  yellow  camp-stool  was 
placed.  She  had  excellent  taste  in  the  choice  of  stop- 
ping-places, and  the  views  were  always  picturesque. 
She  seemed  to  take  great  pleasure  in  showing  off 
the  charming  points  of  view,  as  well  as  the  flowers, 
grounds,  and  buildings. 

On  one  of  our  walks,  her  dogs  were  brought  out  by 
their  attendant  eunuchs.  Dogs  are  great  favorites  with 
all  the  Chinese,  and  especially  with  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager. She  has  some  magnificent  specimens  of  Peking- 
ese pugs  and  of  a  sort  of  Skye  terrier.  The  pugs  are 
bred  with  great  care  and  have  reached  a  high  state 
of  perfection,  their  spots  being  perfectly  symmetrical 
and  their  hair  beautifully  long  and  silky,  and  they  are 
of  wonderful  intelligence.  The  King  Charles  spaniels 
are  said  to  have  been  bred  out  of  the  first  of  these 
dogs  ever  carried  to  Europe.  The  Empress  Dowager 

52 


Continuation  of  the  Portrait 

has  dozens  of  these  pets,  but  she  has  favorites  among 
them,  and  two  are  privileged  characters.  One  of  these 
is  of  the  Skye  variety,  and  is  most  intelligent  and 
clever  at  tricks.  Among  other  tricks,  he  will  lie  as 
dead  at  Her  Majesty's  command,  and  never  move 
until  she  tells  him  to,  no  matter  how  many  others 
may  speak  to  him.  Her  other  favorite  she  loves  for 
his  beauty.  He  is  a  splendid,  fawn-colored  Peking- 
ese pug,  with  large,  pale-brown,  liquid  eyes.  He  is 
devoted  to  her,  and  she  is  very  fond  of  him,  but 
as  he  was  not  easily  taught,  even  as  a  puppy,  she 
called  him  "Shadza"  (fool).  Her  dogs  all  have  most 
appropriate  names,  given  by  herself.  They  know  Her 
Majesty's  voice  and  will  obey  her  slightest  word. 

The  Empress  Dowager  does  not  care  for  the  small 
sleeve-dog;  she  hates  the  thought  of  their  being 
stunted  by  being  fed  only  on  sweets  and  wines.  She 
says  she  cannot  understand  animals  being  deformed, 
at  man's  pleasure.  The  day  we  first  met  the  dogs  in 
the  garden  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  them.  They 
rushed  up  to  Her  Majesty,  not  paying  the  slightest  at- 
tention to  any  one  else.  She  patted  their  heads  and 
caressed  and  spoke  to  her  favorites.  After  a  while 
they  seemed  to  notice  that  a  stranger  was  present, 
and  they  bounded  over  toward  me.  Some  of  them 
growled  and  showed  other  evidences  of  displeasure, 
some  seemed  surprised  almost  to  fear;  but  as  the 
instinct  of  a  dog  never  deceives  him  as  to  who  is  his 
friend,  this  was  all  soon  changed  to  friendly  greetings. 
I  bent  down  to  caress  them,  and  forgot  my  surround- 
ings, in  my  pleasure  at  seeing  and  fondling  these 
beautiful  creatures.  I  glanced  up,  presently,  never 

53 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

dreaming  Her  Majesty  had  been  paying  any  attention 
to  me,  as  I  was  standing  at  a  little  distance  behind 
her,  and  I  saw  on  her  face  the  first  sign  of  displeasure 
I  had  noticed  there.  It  seems  her  dogs  never  noticed 
any  one  but  herself,  and  she  appeared  not  to  like  her 
pets  being  so  friendly  with  a  stranger  at  first  sight. 
Noticing  this,  I  immediately  ceased  fondling  them,  and 
they  were  presently  sent  away.  It  was  but  a  momentary 
shadow  that  passed  over  her  face,  and  I  quite  under- 
stood the  feeling.  One  does  not  like  to  see  one's  pets 
too  friendly  with  strangers,  and  I  had  been  tactless  in 
trying  to  make  friends  with  them  at  once. 

A  few  days  later,  on  another  of  our  walks,  some 
young  puppies  were  brought  to  be  shown  the  Em- 
press Dowager.  She  caressed  the  mother  and  examined 
critically  the  points  of  the  puppies.  Then  she  called 
me  up  to  show  them  to  me,  asking  me  which  I  liked 
best.  I  tried  not  to  evince  too  much  interest  in  them 
this  time,  but  she  called  my  attention  to  their  fine 
points  and  insisted  upon  my  taking  each  of  them  up. 
She  seemed  to  be  ashamed  of  her  slight  displeasure 
of  the  day  before,  and  to  wish  to  compensate  for  it. 

The  dogs  at  the  Palace  are  kept  in  a  beautiful 
pavilion  with  marble  floors.  They  have  silken 
cushions  to  sleep  on,  and  special  eunuchs  to  attend 
them.  They  are  taken  for  daily  outdoor  exercise  and 
given  their  baths  with  regularity.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  dogs  in  the  Palace,  the  young  Empress,  the 
Princesses  and  Ladies,  and  even  the  eunuchs,  having 
their  own.  Some  of  the  eunuchs  are  great  fanciers 
and  breeders  of  them.  One  of  them  still  breeds  the 
sleeve-dog.  Her  Majesty's  known  dislike  to  these 

54 


Continuation  of  the  Portrait 

latter  is  probably  the  cause  of  fewer  being  bred  in  the 
Palace  now  than  formerly;  and  the  race  is  slowly 
dying  out.  All  the  other  dogs  in  the  Palace,  except 
Her  Majesty's,  are  kept  in  the  apartments  and  courts 
of  their  owners,  and  are  not  seen  by  her. 

She  dislikes  cats  very  much,  but  some  of  the  eunuchs 
have  very  fine  specimens  of  the  felines.  They  keep 
them,  however,  "sub  rosa"  and  within  rigid  bounds, 
on  no  condition  allowing  them  to  come  within  Her 
Majesty's  ken. 

The  pavilion  at  the  Summer  Palace  where  the  Em- 
press Dowager's  dogs  were  kept  was  near  her  Throne- 
room,  and  also  near  the  pavilion  she  had  set  aside  for 
me.  When  the  Court  was  taking  its  siesta,  I  used  to 
go  out  where  the  dogs  were  basking  in  the  sun  in  their 
court  and  look  at  and  play  with  these  interesting  little 
animals.  I  was  free  to  do  as  I  pleased,  and  no  one  but 
the  dogs'  guardian  eunuchs  saw  me  there. 

Among  the  younger  set,  of  these  pampered  pets, 
was  one  that  caught  my  fancy — one  of  those  which 
had  been  brought  for  Her  Majesty  to  look  at  in  the 
garden.  He  was  a  beautiful  white-and-amber-colored 
Pekingese  pug.  He  soon  learned  to  know  me  and 
would  come  running  to  me  when  I  crossed  the  thresh- 
old of  the  court.  Not  long  after  I  had  discovered 
where  the  dogs  were  kept  and  had  been  paying  them 
my  daily  visits,  one  night,  when  we  had  finished 
dinner  at  Her  Majesty's  table,  one  of  her  eunuchs 
brought  in  this  very  little  dog  and  put  it  in  my  arms, 
saying  Her  Majesty  had  presented  it  to  me  from  her 
own  kennel !  She  had  evidently  learned  of  my  visits 
to  the  dogs,  though  none  of  the  eunuchs  around  her 

55 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

person  had  seen  me  go  there,  at  least  so  I  thought ! 
I  was  delighted  to  own  this  beautiful  animal,  and 
when  the  Empress  Dowager  came  into  the  Throne- 
room  from  her  own  apartments,  I  went  up  to  her  and 
kissed  her  hand  and  thanked  her  for  it.  She  seemed 
much  pleased  that  I  liked  it,  and  remarked  that  she 
had  heard  it  was  my  favorite  of  her  dogs,  that  I  was  to 
call  him  "Me-lahw  (Golden  Amber),  from  the  color  of 
his  spots.  Her  Majesty  and  the  Princesses  were  all 
much  amused  at  the  way  he  followed  me  around,  not 
leaving  my  side  for  an  instant,  nor  paying  any  atten- 
tion to  their  frequent  efforts  to  attract  his  attention. 
From  that  day,  he  became  my  constant  companion 
and  faithful  friend. 


CHAPTER  VII 

FESTIVITIES  AT  COURT 

PREPARATIONS  were  now  beginning  at  the 
Palace  for  the  celebration  of  His  Majesty  the 
Emperor's  Birthday.  This  is  not  celebrated  on  the 
anniversary  of  the  day  he  was  born,  but  two  days 
earlier.  His  Majesty  must  make  the  Autumnal  Sac- 
rifices to  his  Ancestors  three  days  after  the  real  date 
of  his  Birthday,  and  he  must  prepare  himself  for 
these  sacrifices  by  a  rigorous  fast  of  three  days.  As 
it  would  be  impossible  to  accomplish  the  ceremonial 
prescribed  for  the  Imperial  Birthday  while  fasting, 
the  celebration  of  the  Birthday  was  advanced,  a 
special  edict  having  been  issued  by  the  two  Em- 
presses, when  Co-Regents  for  the  young  Emperor, 
ordering  the  Birthday  celebrations  to  be  advanced 
by  two  days,  for  the  date  of  the  sacrifices  could  not  be 
changed — the  sacrifice  to  one's  Ancestors  being  the 
most  sacred  of  obligations  to  the  Chinese,  and  most 
rigidly  and  religiously  observed.  Even  the  Chinese 
Emperor's  Birthday  is  not  celebrated  for  two  years 
after  the  death  of  his  predecessor,  so  rigorous  are  the 
rules  of  respect  to  the  dead  and  the  rites  accorded  to 
one's  Ancestors  in  China. 
I  knew  no  painting  could  be  done  during  these 

57 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

festivities,  and  I  expected  to  go  back  to  the  United 
States  Legation.  I  never  dreamed  I  should  be  in- 
vited to  participate  in  this  celebration,  hitherto  unseen 
by  any  foreigner.  A  week  before  the  Birthday  itself, 
when  out  for  one  of  our  walks  with  Her  Majesty,  she 
called  me  up  to  her  side  and  said  the  Emperor's  Birth- 
day was  to  be  celebrated  the  next  week,  and  invited 
me  to  remain  in  the  Palace  for  these  festivities.  I 
was,  of  course,  overjoyed  at  this  gracious  mark  of 
her  favor,  and  delighted  to  be  able  to  see  the  Oriental 
pomp  and  pageantry  that  accompanied  these  cere- 
monial celebrations  in  China. 

There  were  to  be  magnificent  theatrical  perform- 
ances, splendid  fireworks  and  decorations,  and  all 
sorts  of  pageants.  The  Imperial  company  of  actors 
had  already  begun  rehearsing  special  poems  and 
plays,  written  to  celebrate  the  occasion.  Eunuchs  were 
constantly  bringing  Her  Majesty  specimens  of  the 
work  of  the  decorators  and  painters  who  were  carry- 
ing out  her  designs  as  to  special  scenes  and  tableaux, 
or  coming  to  ask  for  further  instructions.  The 
literati,  who  were  preparing  the  original  poems,  sent 
in  their  manuscripts,  that  she  might  judge  of  their 
merits  and  make  suggestions.  She  herself  overlooked 
every  detail,  and  seemed  most  interested  and  anxious 
to  have  everything  successful. 

The  festivities  began  four  days  before  the  Birthday 
with  gala  performances  at  the  Theater.  Each  day 
the  decorations  of  the  buildings,  the  courts,  and  gar- 
dens increased  in  beauty.  In  the  principal  courts, 
magnificent  bronzes,  all  sorts  of  antique  instruments 
of  music,  used  only  on  these  great  occasions,  were 

58 


Festivities  at  Court 

brought  out  as  decorations;  for  music  forms  part 
of  every  ceremonial,  official  or  religious,  in  China. 
Among  the  curious  instruments  were  splendid  bronze 
frames,  with  several  superposed  octaves  of  triangular 
musical-stones  suspended  therefrom;  elaborately 
carved  supports  for  different-toned  bells ;  huge  "tri- 
angles" ;  immense  bronze  "  tam-tams,"  curiously  and 
beautifully  wrought ;  big  drums  on  splendid  bronze 
stands;  wonderfully  chased  bells;  and  many  other 
quaint  instruments,  used  only  for  official  and  state 
processions  in  honor  of  Their  Celestial  Majesties. 

The  slanting  and  projecting,  upturned  roofs  of  the 
different  buildings  forming  the  Palaces  were  decorated 
with  scarfs  of  vari-colored  silk,  knotted  into  a  curious 
sort  of  fringe  of  rosettes,  about  two  feet  long ;  yellow, 
the  Imperial  color,  and  red,  the  festive  color,  pre- 
dominating, but  other  colors  were  introduced  into 
the  color-scheme  to  accentuate  these. 

The  large  Square  in  front  of  the  Imperial  gateway, 
outside  the  Precincts,  was  filled  with  huge,  tent-like, 
yellow  satin  umbrellas,  with  deep  curtains  around 
the  edge.  These  umbrellas  are  used  for  all  great 
festivities  in  China,  and  are  generally  of  red.  Those 
for  the  Emperor's  Birthday  were,  of  course,  of  the 
Imperial  yellow,  and  were  richly  embroidered  with 
emblematic  designs.  Presents  for  the  Emperor  were 
arriving  daily  from  all  parts  of  the  Great  Empire, 
and  though  everything  was  directed  by  splendid  sys- 
tem the  commotion  was  nevertheless  great. 

Finally,  there  was  the  first  gala  performance  at  the 
Theater.  Her  Majesty  occupied  her  loge  nearly  all 
day,  overlooking  every  detail,  sending  now  and  then 

59 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

to  the  stage  one  of  her  eunuchs  to  transmit  her  Im- 
perial commands  as  to  the  speaking  of  certain  lines 
or  the  using  of  certain  postures.  On  the  day  of  this 
gala  performance  she  invited  all  the  Ladies  of  the 
Palace  to  lunch,  for  the  first  time  since  I  had  been 
there,  in  the  court  of  the  Theater.  Her  Majesty 
lunched  in  the  Imperial  loge,  and  then  ordered  our 
repast  to  be  served  in  the  court,  where  tables  were 
laid  and  served  with  all  the  pomp  and  ceremony 
that  characterized  the  meals  at  the  Palace.  Even 
this  "  al-fresco  "  entertainment  was  ceremonious. 

Most  of  the  large  courts  of  the  Summer  Palace 
have  roofs  of  matting  erected  over  them,  to  keep  out 
the  sun.  These  mat-roofs  make,  of  the  flower-filled 
courts,  delightfully  cool,  outdoor  parlors.  The  mat- 
sheds  at  the  Palace  are  almost  works  of  art.  Tall 
poles,  reaching  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  above  the 
roofs  surrounding  the  courts  to  be  protected  from  the 
sun,  are  painted  in  festive  designs,  and  they  support 
transversal  beams,  also  gaily  painted.  Over  these 
roof -beams  are  stretched  strips  of  the  beautiful  mat- 
ting which  the  Chinese  excel  in  making.  Matting- 
curtains  drop  from  the  roof  of  the  sheds  to  a  level 
with  the  Palace  roofs.  These  side-curtains,  as  well  as 
huge  sections  of  the  matting-roof,  are  movable,  and 
may  be  opened  and  raised  by  means  of  cords  and 
pulleys  attached  to  the  supporting  pillars.  The  whole 
structure,  supporting  pillars  and  transversal  beams, 
is  tied  together  with  ropes  the  same  color  of  the 
beams,  and  not  a  nail  is  used.  The  mat-sheds  are  put 
up  in  June  and  taken  down  in  September. 

New  ladies  were  arriving  at  the  Palace  every  day 

60 


Festivities  at  Court 

for  a.  week  before  the  Birthday— members  of  the 
Imperial  Family  from  a  distance,  and  the  wives  and 
daughters  of  Manchu  nobles  who  were  of  sufficient 
rank  to  present  their  congratulations  in  person.  The 
young  Empress  never  failed  to  introduce  me  to  these 
ladies.  A  foreigner  in  the  Chinese  Court  is  a  much 
more  extraordinary  circumstance  than  a  Chinese  at  a 
European  Court  would  be,  and  this  was,  in  most  in- 
stances, the  first  meeting  of  these  Princesses  with 
any  foreigner;  but  they  were  uniformly  courteous 
and  even  cordial,  never  evincing  the  slightest  curiosity 
as  to  my  dress  or  my  habits.  I  doubted  whether  a 
Chinese  at  a  European  Court,  or  at  our  White  House, 
would  have  been  treated  with  the  same  consideration 
by  all,  even  to  the  servants.  The  children,  of  whom 
there  were  several  at  Court  at  this  time,  were  as  well- 
bred  as  their  Lelders  in  their  treatment  of  the  "  foreign 
lady." 

After  our  first  lunch  in  the  court  of  the  Theater, 
when  the  theatrical  performance  of  the  day  was 
finished  and  the  actors  had  left,  I  approached  the 
stage  of  the  Theater  and  began  examining,  with  in- 
terest, its  construction  and  appointments.  The 
Palace  Theater  is  raised  about  twelve  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  its  main  floor  is  on  a  level  with  the 
Imperial  loge.  The  building  consists  of  three  stories 
and  a  cellar.  The  latter  is  used  for  the  few  pieces  of 
scenery  of  the  scenic  plays,  and  is  where  the  simple 
devices  used  for  moving  it  are  manipulated.  Like  the 
Greek  theater,  the  stage  is  open  on  three  sides ;  and  the 
actors  come  out  and  speak  their  parts,  their  entrance 
being  to  the  left  and  the  exit  to  the  right  of  the  stage. 

61 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Her  Majesty  was  within  her  loge  while  I  was  ex- 
amining the  construction  of  the  Theater;  but  she 
evidently  noticed  my  movements,  for  the  eunuchs  soon 
threw  open  the  great  plate  doors  and  she  descended 
the  steps  of  the  Imperial  loge  and  came  across  the 
court  to  where  I  was  standing.  She  asked  me  if  I 
would  not  like  to  go  on  the  stage  and  look  over  the 
building  and  examine  things  thoroughly.  She  added, 
"  You  probably  may  never  have  such  a  chance  to  see 
a  good  Chinese  theater  again."  She,  herself,  went  up 
the  steps  leading  from  the  court  to  the  stage,  and  told 
me  to  follow  her. 

The  stage  is  about  twenty-five  feet  square,  is  roofed 
over,  and  projects  into  the  court,  its  three  sides  being 
open.  The  fourth  side  has  doors  and  curtains  for  the 
entrance  and  exit  of  the  actors.  There  are  no  actresses 
in  China.  The  men  perform  the  parts  of  women,  and 
represent  them  with  such  success  that  I  was  much 
surprised  when  I  learned  there  were  no  actresses.  At 
the  back  of  the  stage  sit  the  musicians,  who  accom- 
pany all  the  theatrical  performances  in  China. 

Her  Majesty,  herself,  led  the  way  across  the  stage 
and  we  went  behind  the  scenes.  Here,  I  examined 
closely  a  number  of  "Floats"  that  were  to  be  used,  in 
the  procession  in  honor  of  the  Emperor,  on  the  day 
of  the  Birthday.  These  floats  had  all  been  designed 
by  the  Empress  Dowager.  After  we  had  looked  at 
these,  she  suggested  that  I  had  better  see  the  upper 
floors.  These  latter  are  not  in  general  use  in  Chinese 
theaters.  The  theaters,  even  at  the  other  Palaces, 
have  but  one  stage.  The  steps  which  lead  to  the 
second  stage,  and  thence  to  the  third  stage,  are  behind 

62 


Festivities  at  Court 

the  scenes.  The  two  upper  stages  are  used  for 
spectacular  plays  and  tableaux,  when  certain  of  the 
players  group  themselves  in  pyramidal  form  on  these 
superposed  stages  and  speak  their  lines  therefrom. 
The  upper  stages  have  also  trap-doors  and  pulleys  for 
use  in  the  spectacular  plays.  Her  Majesty  went  up, 
herself,  to  show  me  these  stages.  She  mounted  the 
steep  and  difficult  steps  with  as  much  ease  and  light- 
ness as  I  did,  and  I  had  on  comfortable  European 
shoes,  while  she  wears  the  six-inch-high  Manchu  sole 
in  the  middle  of  her  foot,  and  must  really  walk  as  if 
on  stilts. 

Neither  the  Empress  Dowager  nor  any  of  the  Man- 
chu ladies  bind  their  feet ;  that  custom  prevailed  in 
China  before  the  Manchu  conquest.  The  Manchus 
have  adopted  many  of  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  Chinese,  but  the  Manchu  women  have  retained 
their  own  individuality ;  and  to-day,  after  more  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  in  China,  they  still  wear 
their  native  costume,  entirely  different  from  the 
Chinese  women.  They  still  dress  their  hair  in  the 
picturesque  Manchu  fashion.  They  not  only  have 
never  bound  their  feet,  but  they  have  as  great  a  hor- 
ror of  it  as  Europeans  have.  Manchu  ladies  are  not 
bound  by  the  same  rigid  social  conventions  as  are  the 
Chinese  women.  They  are  less  circumscribed  and 
have  more  individual  freedom  than  any  other  Oriental 
women.  In  fact,  the  Manchu  woman  seems  to  be,  to 
other  Oriental  women,  what  the  modern  American 
woman  is  to  her  European  sisters. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HIS  MAJESTY  THE  EMPEROR  KWANG-HSU 


Emperor  Kwang-Hsu  was  barely  eighteen 
_L  years  old  when  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager, Regent  of  the  Empire,  handed  over  to  him  the 
reins  of  Government,  admonishing  him  in  a  parting 
Imperial  Decree  to  "  discipline  his  body,  develop  his 
mind,  love  his  People,  and  give  unceasing  attention 
to  the  administration  of  Government,"  which  Decree 
His  Majesty  responded  to  in  fitting  terms,  by  another 
Decree,  begging  "  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 
to  continue  to  advise  him  in  important  affairs,"  say- 
ing he  "would  not  dare  to  be  indolent,"  that  only 
after  prayer  and  sacrifice  "  to  Heaven  and  Earth  and 
his  Ancestors  would  he  Himself  begin  to  administer 
affairs  of  State  on  the  15th  day  of  the  First  moon  of 
the  13th  year  of  his  Reign  "  !  He  began  to  reign  by 
our  count  the  25th  day  of  February,  1889,  under  the 
appellation  of  "Kwang-Hsu"  (Glorious  Succession). 
The  name  under  which  an  Emperor  of  China  reigns  is 
not  his  own,  but  one  chosen  for  him,  and  has  generally 
some  appropriate  signification  or  some  symbolic  mean- 
ing. 

His  Majesty  Kwang-Hsu  is  the  twelfth  Emperor, 
who  has  reigned  over  China,  of  the  Dynasty  of  the 


His  Majesty  the  Emperor 

"  Great  Purity,"  as  the  Manchu  Dynasty  is  called.1 
His  reign  began  at  the  age  of  five  years,  under  the 
Co-Regency  of  the  Empress  of  the  Eastern  and  Em- 
press of  the  Western  Palaces.  The  former  died  in 
1881,  and  from  that  time  on  Her  Majesty,  the  present 
Empress  Dowager,  ruled  alone  as  "Regent."  His 
reign,  counting  the  years  of  the  Regency,  has  already 
lasted  thirty  years,  the  third  in  point  of  length  of  any 
of  the  Emperors  of  the  Manchu  Dynasty. 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  Kwang-Hsu  was  nearing 
the  completion  of  his  thirty-second  year  when  I  was 
first  presented  to  him.  I  found  him  an  interesting 
study,  but  not  to  the  degree  of  Her  Majesty  the  Em- 
press Dowager,  who  has  charm  and  is  so  fascinating. 
The  Emperor  is  singularly  devoid  of  this  quality  of 
"  charm,"  and  has  but  little  personal  magnetism.  He 
interests  one,  nevertheless.  Her  Majesty  is  Universal, 
the  Emperor  is  typically  Oriental.  In  person  he  is  of 
slight  and  elegant  figure,  not  more  than  five  feet  four 
in  height.  He  has  a  well-shaped  head,  with  the  intel- 
lectual qualities  well  developed,  a  high  brow,  with 
large  brown  eyes  and  rather  drooping  lids,  not  at  all 
Chinese  in  form  or  setting.  His  nose  is  high  and, 
like  most  members  of  the  Imperial  Family,  is  of  the 
so-called  "  noble  "  type.  A  rather  large  mouth  with 
thin  lips,  the  upper  short  with  a  proud  curve,  the 
lower  slightly  protruding,  a  clear-cut,  thin  jaw,  a 
strong  chin  a  little  beyond  the  line  of  the  forehead, 
with  not  an  ounce  of  superfluous  flesh  on  the  whole 
face,  give  him  an  ascetic  air  and,  in  spite  of  his  rather 
delicate  physique,  an  appearance  of  great  reserve 
strength.  His  complexion  is  not  so  white  and  clear 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

as  that  of  the  other  members  of  the  Imperial  Family, 
for  the  Manchus  have  whiter  skins  than  the  Chinese ; 
but  this  seems  more  the  result  of  delicacy  than  natu- 
ral with  the  Emperor.  His  luxuriant,  very  long  hair, 
a  characteristic  of  the  Manchus,  is  beautifully  silky 
and  glossy  and  always  arranged  with  the  greatest 
care.  It  is  said  he  much  dislikes  being  shaved,  but 
tradition,  immutable  in  China,  does  not  allow  a  man 
under  forty,  even  if  he  be  the  "  Son  of  Heaven,"  to 
wear  a  mustache  or  whiskers.  Like  all  well-bred 
Chinese,  he  has  small  feet  and  hands,  the  latter  long 
and  thin  and  most  expressive.  The  Emperor  dresses 
with  extreme  neatness  and  great  simplicity,  wearing 
few  ornaments  and  no  jewels  except  on  State  occa- 
sions. His  face  is  kindly  in  expression,  but  the  glance 
from  his  rather  heavy-lidded  eyes  is  shrewd  and  in- 
telligent. His  manner  is  shy  and  retiring,  but  this 
does  not  seem  to  be  so  much  from  a  lack  of  confi- 
dence in  himself  as  from  the  absence  of  that  magnetic 
quality,  which  gives  one  an  appearance  of  assurance. 
He  seemed  to  me  the  ideal  of  what  one  would 
imagine  an  Oriental  potentate  to  be,  whose  title  is 
the  "  Son  of  Heaven."  There  is  a  Sphinx-like  quality 
to  his  smile.  In  his  eyes  one  sees  the  calm,  half- 
contemptuous  outlook  upon  the  world,  of  the  fatalist. 
There  is  an  abstractness  in  the  subtilty  of  his  regard, 
an  abstractness  that  embodies  one's  idea  of  the 
"  Spirit  of  the  Orient."  At  first  it  is  difficult  to  tell 
whether  this  comes  from  a  sense  of  power  or  from  a 
knowledge  of  the  lack  of  it,  but  that  firm  and  fleshless 
jaw,  that  ascetic  face  and  keen  eye,  show  there  must 
be  reserve  strength,  that  there  can  be  no  lack  of 

66 


His  Majesty  the  Emperor 

power,  should  he  wish  to  exert  it.  Over  his  whole  face 
there  is  a  look  of  self-repression,  which  has  almost 
reached  a  state  of  passivity. 

Does  he  dream  of  future  greatness  for  the  Empire  ? 
Does  he  feel  that  though  his  first  efforts  at  governing 
have  failed,  he  can  bide  his  time— that  all  things  will 
come  to  him  who  waits  ?  Enigma,  difficult  to  divine ! 
But  it  almost  seems  so !  He  appears  to  fully  realize, 
now,  that  he  made  a  mistake  in  the  choice  of  his  in- 
struments and  time,  in  his  efforts  for  Progress.  But 
the  look  of  eternal  patience  in  the  half-veiled  regard 
of  those  large  eyes  seems  to  show  that  he  will  yet  try 
to  accomplish  China's  salvation— that  he  is  but  waiting 
his  opportunity. 

There  is  no  evidence  of  the  Emperor's  feeling  any 
animosity  toward  the  Empress  Dowager.  Their  re- 
lations, though  rigidly  formal,  as  is  necessary  from 
their  exalted  positions,  seem  to  be  most  friendly.  If 
there  is  any  feeling  on  his  part  as  to  the  check  his 
Government  received  by  the  "  coup  d'6tat "  of  1898,  he 
does  not  seem  to  feel  that  Her  Majesty  is  responsible 
for  it.  It  was  not  she  who  put  a  momentary  stop  to 
his  dreams  of  Progress.  It  was  Chinese  conservatism, 
a  coalition  of  powerful  ministers  who  put  up  the  bar- 
riers of  the  "coup  d'etat"  before  him  when  His 
Majesty  thought  to  drive  on  to  Progress. 

The  Empress  Dowager  returned  from  her  retire- 
ment and  took  up  the  reins  of  Government  again,  at 
the  earnest  prayers  of  the  wisest  Statesmen  of  China. 
She  was  persuaded  by  them,  and  she  also  believed, 
that  the  Emperor  was  driving  the  Chariot  of  State  too 
fast  over  the  difficult  and  ill-kept  roads  of  traditional 

67 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Chinese  routine.  She  felt  that  His  Majesty,  as  well 
as  the  state,  would  soon  be  dashed  to  pieces  if  he 
continued  as  he  was  then  going.  It  seems  as  if  the 
Emperor  realizes  it  all  now.  His  unfathomable  eye 
hides  an  infinity  of  possibilities,  perchance  a  world  of 
events.  Is  he  quietly  studying  how  to  seize  opportu- 
nity, when  it  next  passes,  and  leap  upon  its  back  and 
lash  it  on  to  Progress  or  to — Ruin  ?  He  would  meet 
either  with  that  same  stoical,  Sphinx-like  smile,  I  feel 
confident. 

He  seems,  now,  to  give  but  little  advice.  He  holds 
Audiences,  however,  and  sees  many  of  the  officials 
alone.  He  issues  edicts  independent  of  Her  Majesty ; 
but  on  all  grave  affairs,  and  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Grand  Council,  Her  Majesty  is  always  present,  and 
the  decisions  are  the  results  of  their  two  opinions. 
When  despatches  were  brought  into  Her  Majesty's 
Throne-room  when  the  Emperor  was  present,  they 
were  first  handed  to  her,  and,  after  glancing  them 
over,  she  would  give  them  to  him.  He,  after  care- 
fully reading  them,  handed  them  back  to  her  with 
rarely  a  comment.  One  could  see,  though,  that  this 
was  not  from  ignorance  of  the  subject,  but  that  he 
trusted,  for  the  time  being,  to  Her  Majesty's  greater 
experience. 

Though  the  Emperor  does  not  seem  to  feel  that  the 
time  has  come  for  him  to  act,  he  studies  every  event 
with  the  closest  attention,  and  is  well  informed  upon 
every  subject  connected  with  the  welfare  of  the  state. 
As  long  as  the  Empress  Dowager  sits  upon  the  throne 
with  him,  I  think  he  will  not  try  to  make  any  of  his 
ideas  paramount  to  hers.  He  knows  that  she  also 

68 


His  Majesty  the  Emperor 

wishes  Progress  for  China,  and  that  her  methods, 
more  conservative  and  necessarily  slower  than  his, 
may,  in  the  end,  accomplish  just  as  good  results.  He 
seems  to  trust  her  thoroughly,  and  to  be  willing  to 
have  her  take  the  lead.  He  knows,  and  the  world 
will  soon  see,  that  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 
is  also  vowed  to  Progress  for  China ;  that  she  is  not 
anti-progressive,  nor  against  reform,  now  that  she 
feels  the  time  has  come  for  Progress  and  Reform. 
Her  late  edicts  show  this. 

Whether  the  remodeling  of  China's  laws,  which  will 
bring  her  into  line  with  the  Great  Nations  of  to-day, 
will  come  during  the  Emperor's  life;  whether  his 
power  of  waiting  and  his  patience  may  enable  him  to 
reach  the  time  when  accomplishment  shall  crown  his 
efforts,  who  can  tell !  In  the  meantime,  he  fulfils  his 
duties  as  Official  Head  of  the  Empire,  rigidly  observ- 
ing all  public  and  private  ceremonies  incumbent  upon 
him  as  Emperor. 

The  Emperor  occupies  a  Palace  fronting  on  the 
Great  Lake  as  elegant  and  luxurious  as  Her  Majesty's. 
He  has  his  own  eunuchs  and  attendants,  and  leads  his 
own  life,  quite  independent  of  Her  Majesty  and  the 
Ladies.  He  pays  his  respects  to  his  "  august  aunt 
and  adopted  mother"  every  morning  before  the  Au- 
dience, and  they  go  together  to  transact  affairs  of 
state,  after  which  he  returns  to  his  own  Palace  and 
follows  his  own  pursuits.  On  festivals,  when  the 
Theater  is  going,  he  comes  into  the  Imperial  loge 
during  the  representations,  and,  on  these  days,  joins 
the  Empress  Dowager  and  the  Ladies  in  their  walks 
around  the  gardens  or  in  boating  on  the  lake.  He 

69 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

also  dines  with  Her  Majesty  on  these  occasions.  He 
does  not  seem  to  care  as  much  for  the  Theater  as  she 
does,  nor  to  follow  it  with  so  much  interest.  He 
often  leaves  the  Imperial  loge  in  the  middle  of  a 
play,  and  goes  to  his  own  Theater  Throne-room,  just 
behind  the  great  Imperial  loge,  where  he  passes  the 
time  in  reading  or  smoking,  which  he  never  does  in 
the  presence  of  Her  Majesty. 

He  occupies  himself  daily  with  his  studies,  among 
which  is  English.  He  is  a  great  reader.  There  is  a 
special  official,  at  the  Palace,  who  buys  His  Majesty's 
books,  and  they  say  this  is  no  sinecure,  as  he  does  not 
devote  himself  only  to  Chinese  literature  and  the 
classics,  but  devours  translations  of  foreign  works 
and  is  constantly  calling  for  new  ones.  They  say  he 
always  reads  a  book  a  day,  besides  attending  to  his 
other  duties. 

He  is  passionately  fond  of  music,  plays  on  a  num- 
ber of  Chinese  instruments,  and  has  even  tried 
the  piano.  He  has  a  good  ear  for  music,  and  can 
pick  out  any  air  he  has  heard  upon  any  instrument 
at  his  disposal.  He  is  very  clever,  also,  in  a  mechani- 
cal way,  and  can  take  to  pieces  and  put  together  a 
clock,  with  fair  success.  He  has  been  known,  how- 
ever, to  fail  in  getting  the  very  complicated  mechan- 
ism of  some  of  the  Palace  clocks  properly  together 
'again.  The  Empress  Dowager  is  constantly  fearing 
that  His  Majesty  will  take  some  of  her  favorite  clocks 
to  pieces  and  not  be  able  to  put  them  into  working 
order  again ;  and  he  will  not  allow  any  one  else  to 
finish  what  he  has  begun. 

He  is  a  very  early  riser,  often  getting  up  as  early 

70 


His  Majesty  the  Emperor 

as  two  A.  M.  When  there  was  some  ceremony  in 
Peking  or  some  sacrifice  to  his  Ancestors,  he  would 
go  the  sixteen  miles,  perform  the  ceremony  or  sacri- 
fice and  return  in  time  for  the  Audience  at  eight 
o'clock,  and  it  takes  two  hours  and  a  half  for  the  Em- 
peror's swift  runners  to  carry  him  the  sixteen  miles 
between  the  Summer  Palace  and  Peking.  He  does  not 
seem  to  care  for  young  associates,  either  men  or 
women,  though  he  is  very  fond  of  children.  He  had 
but  few  favorites  in  the  Palace,  and  quite  ignored  the 
pretty  young  girls  and  women  of  Her  Majesty's  "  en- 
tourage." He  seems  to  have  great  respect  for  cleverness. 
There  are  certain  distinctions  made  with  refer- 
ence to  Her  Majesty  and  the  Emperor,  which  are 
rather  curious.  Her  Majesty,  being  his  Ancestress,  is 
first  in  everything.  She  sits  upon  the  Throne  in  the 
Great  Audience  Hall,  while  His  Majesty  sits  on  a  stool 
at  her  left.  He  walks  beside  her  chair  when  they  go 
out,  and  stands  in  her  presence,  but  when  they  dine 
together  he  sits  in  the  place  of  honor  at  the  end  of 
the  table.  When  Her  Majesty  dines  alone,  her  chop- 
sticks and  spoons,  as  well  as  the  covers  of  her  yellow 
porcelain  dishes,  are  of  silver.  When  Their  Majesties 
dine  together,  the  covers  of  the  dishes  are  of  gold,  and 
His  Majesty's  chop- sticks  and  spoons  are  also  of  gold. 
I  never  knew  what  kind  of  covers  or  chop-sticks  were 
used  when  the  Emperor  dined  alone;  for  this  was 
always  in  his  own  Palace,  and  I  never  saw  his  Palace 
except  from  the  outside.  It  was  not  considered  good 
taste,  nor  according  to  the  "  Proprieties,"  even  to  look 
that  way  when  the  Ladies  happened  to  pass  it  in  their 
promenades. 

71 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

When  His  Majesty  walked  in  the  grounds  with 
only  his  own  attendants,  without  being  in  the  train  of 
the  Empress  Dowager,  his  walks  were  in  parts  of  the 
grounds  not  frequented  by  the  Ladies.  On  Festival 
days,  when  he  went  out  in  the  Imperial  barge,  or 
walked  with  Her  Majesty  and  the  Ladies,  as  he  some- 
times did,  he  went  through  these  promenades  with  his 
usual  courteous  demeanor,  but  he  did  not  seem  to 
enjoy  them,  and  when  they  were  finished  he  would 
return  with  his  own  attendants  to  his  own  Palace.  He 
assisted  Her  Majesty  when  she  was  entertaining  the 
Foreign  Representatives,  but  one,  who  knew  him, 
could  plainly  see  that  he  was  bored  by  these  Audi- 
ences. He  would  slip  away  at  the  first  opportunity, 
not  because  he  objected  to  the  foreigners,  but  that 
these  state  functions  were  not  to  his  taste.  Her 
Majesty  would  have  preferred  him  to  do  his  share  in 
the  entertainment  of  the  Foreign  Representatives  and 
be  more  "  en  evidence."  Though  never  out  of  temper 
or  disagreeable  on  these  occasions,  and  while  he 
seemed  to  wish  to  do  his  duty,  he  seemed  anxious  to 
get  them  over.  Whether  from  shyness  or  dislike  at 
the  functions,  I  could  not  tell. 

l  Confucius  says  "Purity  is  the  Essence  of  Heaven."  Did  the 
Manchus  call  theirs  the  "  Dynasty  of  the  Great  Purity  "  with  a  know- 
ledge of  Confucian  teaching,  that  the  descendants  of  the  Dynasty  of 
the  Great  Purity  (Essence  of  Heaven)  might  become  literally  the  "  Sons 
of  Heaven,"  the  appellation  borne  by  the  Emperors  of  China  ? 


72 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  EMPEROR'S  BIRTHDAY 

WE  went  to  the  Palace  early  the  day  of  His 
Majesty's  Birthday,  and  were  in  the  Empress 
Dowager's  Throne-room  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing; but  long  before  that  time,  the  outer  court  was 
filled  with  the  red  and  yellow  chairs  and  carts  of  the 
visiting  members  of  the  Imperial  Family,  who  had 
come  in  from  Peking  and  from  the  neighboring  Pal- 
aces for  the  day.  The  high  eunuchs  were  in  gala  cos- 
tume, wearing  silken  gowns  of  great  beauty,  embroi- 
dered in  the  Double  Dragon.  The  eunuchs  of  lower 
rank  were  more  simply  gowned,  as  the  representation 
of  the  Double  Dragon  on  the  Court  gown  is  only 
allowed  to  those  of  a  certain  rank.  Our  chair-bearers 
were  clad  in  the  festive  red,  with  brocaded  figures, 
representing  the  characters  for  Longevity. 

We  passed  through  the  beautifully  decorated  courts, 
past  the  gaily  decked  Palaces  to  the  Throne-room  of 
Her  Majesty,  where  the  Emperor  had  come  to  receive 
the  private  congratulations  of  the  Princesses  of  the 
blood  and  the  Ladies  of  the  Court.  It  would  have 
been  against  the  laws  of  Chinese  etiquette  for  these 
Ladies  to  go  into  the  Emperor's  Palace  to  congrat- 
ulate him,  even  on  such  an  occasion  as  his  Birth- 

73 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

day.  When  we  entered  the  Throne-room,  the  Em- 
peror was  seated,  or  rather,  reclining  upon  a  lounge 
in  the  most  informal  manner.  He  was  not  averse,  as 
was  Her  Majesty,  to  the  reclining  position  when  on 
the  Throne.  His  greater  Orientalism  was  evidenced 
here,  for  the  Oriental  proverb  says,  "'T  is  better  to  be 
sitting  than  standing,  to  be  lying  than  sitting,"  etc. 
He  sat  up  a  little  straighter  on  our  entrance,  and  the 
Ladies  made  the  formal  Chinese  bow,  which  he  re- 
turned by  a  friendly  nod  and  kindly  smile.  I  made 
the  European  reverence  as  usual. 

His  Majesty  was  dressed  a  little  more  elaborately 
than  usual,  in  a  yellow  gown,  tightly  belted  in  around 
his  slender  waist  with  a  handsome  belt-buckle  of  jade. 
At  this  morning  salutation  by  the  Ladies  of  his  family, 
his  hat  lay  beside  him  on  the  couch,  which  showed  it 
was  unceremonious,  for  ceremonies  are  carried  on  by 
the  Emperor  and  all  Chinese  with  their  hats  on.  The 
great  Imperial  Pearl,  one  of  the  most  precious  of  the 
Imperial  jewels,  formed  the  button  of  his  hat  on  his 
Birthday.  The  seven  official  ranks  of  Mandarins  are 
shown  by  the  different  colors  of  the  buttons  worn  on 
their  hats.  The  color  of  these  buttons  denotes  the 
rank  acquired  by  their  wearers,  those  of  the  Manchu 
Princes,  alone,  being  hereditary.  The  buttons  of 
these  latter  are  generally  of  jewels  or  semi-precious 
stones.  The  Emperor,  the  most  simply  dressed  man 
I  saw  in  China,  wears,  as  a  rule,  a  plain  red  silk  button, 
but  the  Pearl,  which  can  only  be  worn  by  a  reigning 
Emperor,  is  used  on  state  occasions. 

After  we  had  greeted  His  Majesty,  we  moved  further 
into  the  Throne-room  to  await  the  "  lever  "  of  the  Em- 

74 


The  Emperor's  Birthday 

press  Dowager.  When  she  came  out  of  her  sleeping 
apartments,  the  Ladies  fell  upon  their  knees  and  sim- 
ultaneously repeated  the  words  of  greeting  used  every 
morning  to  Her  Majesty,  "Lao-Tzu-Tzung  Chee-Siang" 
(Great  Ancestress,  be  happy).  After  acknowledging 
their  salutations,  she  advanced  and  held  out  her  hand 
to  me,  and  I  took  it  and,  as  was  now  my  custom,  raised 
the  tips  of  her  fingers  to  my  lips.  I,  of  course,  never 
made  any  but  a  European  salutation  to  either  Her 
Majesty  or  the  Emperor.  She  was  very  gracious 
and  said  I  would  be  the  first  foreigner  who  had 
ever  seen  the  birthday  celebration  of  any  of  the  Sons 
of  Heaven,  and  she  hoped  I  would  enjoy  it !  She  then 
commented  on  my  dress  and  ornaments,  examining  the 
few  jewels  I  wore.  After  this  she  turned  to  the  Ladies 
and,  with  a  quick  glance,  took  in  all  the  details  of 
their  Court  costumes,  calling  their  attention  to  the 
way  their  official  beads  hung  and  signaling  any  little 
deviation  from  traditional  forms  that  she  noticed  in 
their  attire.  She  was  extremely  rigid  as  to  all  the 
details  of  Court  dress. 

The  Court  costume  of  the  Ladies  is  magnificent. 
That  worn  at  the  Emperor's  Birthday  (the  summer 
costume)  was  of  the  stiff  transparent  silk  I  have 
described  in  the  gown  worn  by  Her  Majesty  for  the 
portrait.  The  Court  costume  of  the  married  ladies 
is  of  dark  red,  embroidered  in  golden  dragons.  The 
widows  wear  blue ;  the  unmarried  girls,  bright  red — all 
with  the  Double  Dragon  embroidered  thereon.  The 
married  ladies  and  widows,  when  in  Court  attire, 
wear  a  magnificent  court  head-dress  with  jeweled 
crown.  The  young  girls,  even  in  Court  dress,  wear 

75 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  ordinary  Manchu  coiffure,  with  the  long  red  silk 
tassels  falling  to  their  shoulders.  The  young  Empress 
was  charming  on  the  Birthday.  Her  head-dress  was 
of  golden  filigree,  thickly  set  with  jewels.  Across  the 
front,  nine  beautifully  chased  golden  phenix,  with 
jeweled  tails  outspread,  held  in  their  bills  strings  of 
pearls  that  fell  to  her  shoulders  and  veiled  her  fore- 
head. Square,  conventionalized  bunches  of  flowers 
projected  from  either  side  of  this  curiously  and  elabo- 
rately wrought  head-dress.  Her  gown  was  of  the  Im- 
perial yellow,  embroidered  with  the  golden  Double 
Dragon.  She  had,  around  her  neck,  a  solid  piece  of 
chased  gold,  like  a  huge  open  ring,  with  balls  at  the 
ends ;  and  she  wore  the  official  beads  that  are  always 
worn  in  Court  dress  by  Princes  and  Officials  and  their 
wives.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager  are  the 
only  members  of  the  Court  who  wear,  neither  the 
Double  Dragon  on  their  Court  dress,  nor  the  official 
beads.  Suspended  from  the  Empress's  neck  was  a 
magnificently  embroidered  stole,  about  four  inches 
wide,  which  reached  to  the  hem  of  her  gown.  This 
stole  is  only  worn  by  the  wives  of  Emperors,  during 
their  husband's  lifetime.  The  young  Empress  seemed 
unusually  happy  to-day,  and  this  was  the  first  time  I 
had  ever  seen  her  and  the  Emperor  in  conversation. 
Next  to  the  young  Empress  came  the  only  secondary 
wife  of  the  Emperor.  She  was  dressed  exactly  as  the 
young  Empress  was ;  the  same  gown,  the  same  head- 
dress, the  same  embroidered  stole,  only  her  jewels 
were  not  so  handsome,  and  her  dress,  instead  of  being 
of  the  Imperial  yellow,  was  of  orange.  Yellow  can  only 
be  worn  by  the  first  wife  of  an  Emperor ! 

76 


The  Emperor's  Birthday 

After  the  salutations  to  the  Emperor  and  Empress 
Dowager  in  Her  Majesty's  private  Throne-room,  Her 
Majesty  went  out  into  the  court  and  took  her  place  in 
her  yellow  chair  of  State,  the  Emperor  following,  on 
foot,  as  was  his  custom.  The  cymbals  clashed.  The 
flutes  sounded  and  all  the  instruments  of  the  Imperial 
Band  played  the  curious  minor  air,  with  its  tragic 
undertone  of  sound,  its  rhythm  like  a  Gregorian 
chant,  which  is  only  played  at  the  passing  of  Their 
Majesties  for  some  great  ceremony  or  official  function, 
and  which  I  soon  called  the  "  Imperial  Hymn."  This 
is  the  only  approach  to  a  National  air  that  I  ever 
heard  in  China. 

Their  Majesties  went  in  ceremonious  procession  to 
the  Great  Audience  Hall,  where  the  Princes,  Nobles, 
and  high  Officials  privileged  to  enter  Precincts, 
were  to  present  their  homage  and  congratulations  to 
the  Son  of  Heaven  on  the  happy  occasion  of  his 
Birthday.  Besides  these  privileged  visitors,  there 
were  a  number  of  officials  whose  rank  was  not  high 
enough  to  allow  them  to  enter  the  Great  Hall  of 
Ceremonies.  These  kneel  and  make  the  prostrations 
in  the  outer  courts. 

The  young  Empress  and  Ladies  of  the  Court  did 
not  follow  Their  Majesties  to  the  Great  Hall,  but 
stopped  at  the  Palace  of  the  young  Empress,  to  await 
there  their  turn  for  the  official  congratulations,  which 
were  not  to  be  made  until  after  those  of  the  Princes 
and  Nobles.  The  young  Empress  is  a  charming 
hostess,  and  her  eunuchs  and  women  handed  us  tea 
and  cigarettes  while  we  were  waiting.  She  also  had 
her  dogs  brought  in  for  me  to  see.  Her  apartments 

77 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

opened  on  a  sunny  court,  full  of  flowering  shrubs  and 
fruit  trees.  Around  the  other  three  sides  of  the 
court  were  built  the  pavilions  for  the  use  of  her 
attendants  and  ladies.  We  spent  half  an  hour  in 
her  pavilion,  waiting  for  the  congratulations  of  the 
Princes  and  Nobles  to  be  finished. 

The  Emperor,  for  these  official  congratulations,  was 
seated  upon  the  Dynastic  Throne,  erect  and  stiff  as 
an  archaic  figure;  no  longer  the  shy  boy,  but  the 
Monarch  clothed  in  all  his  power,  and,  for  to-day, 
alone  upon  his  great  ancestral  Throne.  He  was 
attended  by  his  Master  of  Ceremonies,  gorgeously 
attired,  who  stood  in  the  rigid  attitude  prescribed  for 
this  ceremony. 

Each  splendidly  garbed  Prince  and  Noble  knelt  and 
made  the  prostration  prescribed  by  the  Book  of  Rites, 
and  each  presented  His  Majesty  with  a  jade  emblem, 
called  by  the  Chinese  "  ruyie," 1  erroneously  supposed 
to  be  a  scepter  by  most  foreigners;  but  the  "ruyie" 
is  simply  an  emblem  of  Good  Luck,  and  may  be  pre- 
sented on  festive  occasions  to  any  one  whom  the 
givers  wish  to  honor,  and  is  not  an  emblem  of  Impe- 
rial authority.  The  Emperor  held  each  of  these 
"  ruyie "  in  his  hands  for  a  few  seconds  after  their 
presentation,  bowed  profoundly  to  the  kneeling 
Prince,  and  then  handed  the  emblem  to  an  attendant 
eunuch,  who  placed  it  on  a  Dragon  table  at  the  left 
of  the  Emperor.  When  the  Princes  and  Nobles  had 
congratulated  His  Majesty  and  left  the  Throne-room, 
the  young  Empress  and  secondary  wife,  followed  by 
the  Princesses  and  Ladies,  went  in  to  make  their  offi- 
cial congratulations.  The  greeting  in  Her  Majesty's 

78 


The  Emperor's  Birthday 

Throne-room  in  the  morning  had  been  but  a  friendly 
salutation,  without  any  official  signification.  The 
young  Empress  knelt  and  made  her  bow  first  and 
presented— as  did  each  of  the  Ladies— a  "ruyie."  She 
made  the  same  official  salutation  as  did  the  others,  but 
her  "  ruyie "  was  of  a  much  richer  style  than  those 
presented  by  the  other  Ladies. 

After  the  ceremony  of  formal  congratulations  was 
over,  Her  Majesty,  the  Emperor,  and  Empress,  followed 
by  the  Ladies  and  attendants,  went  in  state  to  the  The- 
ater, with  the  same  ceremonial  and  pomp  with  which 
they  had  gone  into  the  Hall  of  Ceremonies.  The  Em- 
press Dowager,  who  was  always  the  most  gorgeously 
attired  person  at  Court,  was,  on  His  Majesty's  Birth- 
day, dressed  with  an  extreme  simplicity  that  amounted 
almost  to  plainness,  and  she  wore  no  jewels.  This  . 
plainness  of  attire  was  not  an  accident,  but  had  been 
arranged  with  her  usual  forethought.  She  wished  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  to  be  the  central  figures  of 
this  day's  festivities,  and  did  not  wish  to  vie  with  the 
Empress  even  in  her  attire. 

The  Princes  and  Nobles,  who  had  come  to  the  Pal- 
ace for  the  official  congratulations,  were  invited  to 
the  theatrical  performance.  They  occupied  the  boxes 
that  ran  at  right  angles  to  the  Imperial  loge,  which  I 
have  already  described  as  forming  the  other  two 
sides  of  the  court  of  the  Theater.  A  huge  screen  of 
painted  silk,  twelve  feet  high,  was  stretched  from  the 
last  of  the  boxes  occupied  by  the  Princes  to  the  stage— 
allowing  the  latter  to  be  perfectly  seen  by  the  occu- 
pants of  the  boxes,  but  cutting  off  their  view  of  the 
Imperial  loge,  whence  Their  Majesties,  the  Empress, 

79 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

and  Ladies  viewed  the  play.  These  invited  guests 
are  thus  neither  seen  by  the  Imperial  party,  nor  can 
they  see  the  latter. 

When  Their  Majesties  and  the  Empress  were  seated 
in  their  loge,  the  principal  actors  came  to  the  front 
of  the  stage,  knelt,  and  '-kow-towed"  to  the  Imperial 
box.  Then  the  play  began.  There  was  first  a  noisy 
burst  of  weird  music,  then  the  chief  actor  recited  a 
laudatory,  congratulatory  poem  in  honor  of  the 
Birthday  of  the  Emperor,  wishing  His  Majesty  "  ten 
thousand  years"  of  happiness  and  all  the  blessings 
possible.  The  poem  was  'intoned  like  a  chant  by  the 
actor,  dressed  in  the  gorgeous  historic  costume  of  an 
Imperial  Herald  of  the  time  of  Kublai  Kahn.  This 
poem  was  most  impressive.  One  of  the  verses  ran 
thus: 

"  The  vast  merits  of  His  Imperial  Majesty's  August 
Ancestors  have  been  handed  down  to  Him  from  gen- 
eration to  generation. 

"  To  the  wisdom  of  His  whole  Dynasty  we  owe  it, 
that  we  have  lived  in  happiness, 

"  Ever  ready  to  comply  with  the  lofty  teaching  of 
our  Rulers,  leading  us  unto  Good.  .  .  ." 

The  poem  went  on  to  recite  His  Majesty's  merits 
as  a  son,  his  respect  for  his  August  Mother,  his 
filial  piety,  and  ended  with  a  wish  that  Great  China 
might  flourish  and  prosper— grow  strong  outwardly 
and  inwardly,  through  the  blessings  of  his  reign  and 
his  desire  for  Progress. 

After  this  poem  had  been  intoned  by  the  chief 
actor,  with  the  whole  company  of  players  grouped 
around  on  the  lower,  as  well  as  on  the  two  superposed 

80 


The  Emperor's  Birthday 

stages,  all  in  splendid  historic  costumes,  there  was  an- 
other noisy  clash  of  weird  music  and  the  play  itself 
began.  The  Chinese  theater,  which  goes  on  from 
morning  to  night  with  a  series  of  plays,  generally 
begins  with  a  short  one,  a  curtain-raiser  of  a  quarter 
to  half  an  hour's  length.  To-day  it  began  at  once, 
after  the  poem  was  intoned,  with  a  great  historic 
drama.  The  exploits  and  high  deeds  of  former  Em- 
perors were  shown,  and  the  actors  were  magnificently 
costumed  in  superb  historic  gowns  which  had  been 
handed  down  from  antiquity  and  were  absolutely 
authentic. 

At  half-past  eleven,  with  the  Theater  still  in  full 
swing,  the  eunuchs  brought  out  tables  of  sweetmeats 
on  the  verandah  of  the  Imperial  loge,  and  set  them 
before  the  young  Empress  and  the  Princesses  and  La- 
dies, and  we  were  served  to  refreshments.  Sweets  and 
fruits  in  China  are  served  between  the  regular  meals. 
The  sweetmeats  to-day  were  "birthday  food,"  and 
were  all  inscribed  with  some  character  meaning 
"  Longevity,"  "  Good  Luck,"  "  Happiness,"  "  Peace," 
etc.  There  were  pyramids  of  the  delicious  crystallized 
fruits  which  the  Chinese  excel  in  making ;  mace"doines 
of  queer  fruits,  nut  pastes,  almond  creams,  and  all  the 
fresh  fruits  in  season.  With  this  preliminary  repast 
were  served,  also,  some  delicious  Chinese  wines. 

Soon  after  the  repast  of  sweetmeats  was  finished, 
we  were  served  in  the  court  of  the  Theater  this 
time  to  the  regular  meal.  It  was  an  immense  table 
to  which  we  sat  down  on  the  Emperor's  Birthday. 
There  were  so  many  Princesses,  Duchesses,  and  Ladies 
of  high  degree  from  a  distance,  that  our  usual  number 

81 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

was  more  than  quadrupled.  The  repast  was  a  joyous 
one.  The  Chinese  are  very  witty  and  gay,  and  though 
I  could  not  understand  all  the  scintillations  of  wit, 
their  gaiety  was  contagious !  Each  gave  me  special 
delicacies  that  she  liked,  to  try,  and  each  seemed  to  vie 
with  the  other  in  endeavoring  to  make  the  "  stranger  " 
feel  at  ease.  Some  of  the  Ladies  drank  champagne 
in  my  honor,  and  held  up  their  glasses  toward  me  as 
they  had  seen  the  foreigners  do.  When  the  elders 
had  finished  eating,  the  young  people  sat  down. 
These  were  the  children  of  the  Princesses  and  Nobles 
who  had  been  invited  to  join  their  parents  for  these 
festivities  at  the  Palace.  No  girl  or  boy  under  six- 
teen is  allowed  to  sit  down  with  their  elders  to  a  cere- 
monious dinner  at  the  Palace. 

Soon  after  we  had  finished  our  gay  luncheon  in  the 
court  of  the  Theater  the  Ladies  retired  within  their 
loge,  next  to  that  of  Their  Majesties,  and  the  screen 
which  hid  the  visiting  Princes  and  Nobles  from  the 
Imperial  party  was  removed  by  the  attendant  eu- 
nuchs. When  it  was  taken  away,  there  sat,  Turkish 
fashion,  the  great  Princes  and  high  Nobles  in  their 
splendid  Court  dress.  Those  of  the  highest  ranks 
occupied  the  boxes  nearest  the  Imperial  party.  The 
Princesses  pointed  out  to  me,  from  their  box,  their 
brothers  and  kinsmen  and  others  whom  they  recog- 
nized; bat  we  saw  without  being  seen,  and  were 
only  looking  from  behind  the  scenes. 

The  eunuchs  then  handed  around  refreshments  to 
the  Princes  and  gentlemen,  sweetmeats  and  fruits, 
such  as  we  had  partaken  of  before  our  luncheon. 
Then  there  were  some  huge  steaming  silver  caldrons 

82 


The  Emperor's  Birthday 

brought  into  the  court,  and  from  these  caldrons  the 
eunuchs  ladled  into  bowls  some  sort  of  white  drink. 
As  we  had  had  nothing  of  this  kind  at  our  repast,  I 
was  curious  to  know  what  it  might  be.  I  knew  it 
could  not  be  wine,  for  that  is  served  only  in  tiny  cups, 
and  this  was  served  in  the  ordinary-sized  eating-bowls. 
I  was  much  surprised  to  learn  that  this  drink  was 
simply  hot  milk,  flavored  with  almonds,  and  slightly 
sweetened,  a  drink  of  which  the  Manchus  are  very  fond, 
and  which  is  a  special  mark  of  Imperial  favor,  given 
only  on  great  occasions.  The  gentlemen  raised  their 
bowls  to  their  lips  with  both  hands  and  drank  it  off 
with  great  ceremony,  as  if  it  were  a  sacred  beverage, 
and  seemed,  in  drinking  it  thus,  to  pledge  the  Em- 
peror's Health  and  Happiness. 

After  the  Princes  had  partaken  of  these  refresh- 
ments, and  while  some  eunuchs  were  removing  the 
caldrons  and  dishes,  another  army  of  eunuchs  came 
in,  in  pairs,  each  pair  carrying  between  them  trays  of 
Imperial  yellow,  decorated  with  the  red  characters  for 
Longevity.  These  trays  contained  presents  from  the 
Emperor  to  each  of  the  invited  guests,  for  His  Maj- 
esty gives  as  well  as  receives  presents  on  his  Birth- 
day !  There  was  no  difference  made  in  the  presents 
given,  each  tray  being  the  exact  counterpart  of  every 
other.  Each  contained  a  pair  of  porcelain  vases  from 
the  Imperial  Potteries,  a  bronze  Incense-burner,  a 
scroll  with  a  quotation  from  the  classics  or  an  apho- 
rism of  Confucius  written  thereon.  The  scrolls  were 
inclosed  in  silken  covers,  tied  with  the  Imperial  colors. 
There  was  also  a  jade  "  ruyie  "  in  each  tray,  such  as 
had  been  handed  the  Emperor  at  the  morning  cere- 

83 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

mony,  and  an  Archer's  ring.  After  the  contents  of 
the  trays  had  been  delivered  to  each  gentleman  pres- 
ent, and  the  empty  trays  borne  away  by  the  Palace 
eunuchs,  the  dividing  screen  was  again  placed  be- 
tween the  visiting  Princes  and  Their  Majesties,  and 
the  young  Empress  and  Ladies  went  out  of  their  loge 
to  the  verandah  once  more,  and  the  theatrical  per- 
formance again  went  on.  In  fact,  it  had  been  going 
on  throughout  our  luncheon  and  the  subsequent 
entertainment  of  the  Princes,  but  we  had  paid  no 
attention  to  it. 

At  four  o'clock  there  was  the  grand  "  finale."  The 
three  superposed  stages  were  occupied  by  all  the 
gorgeously  attired  actors,  and  another  Hymn  of  praise 
to  the  Emperor  was  intoned.  He  was  extolled  as  the 
Son  of  Heaven  and  representative  on  earth  of  Buddha, 
and  other  extravagant  wishes  for  "ten  thousand 
years"  of  happiness  were  made.  When  this  Hymn 
was  finished,  the  floats,  which  we  had  seen  the  day 
before  behind  the  scenes,  came  out  in  procession. 
These  floats  represented  mythical  animals,  Buddhas, 
fairies,  and  personifications  of  the  higher  attributes. 
There  were  gigantic  fruits  which  opened,  disclosing 
figures  representing  eternal  beauty,  perfect  happiness, 
and  serene  old  age.  Prominent  among  the  gigantic 
fruits  was  the  peach,  the  emblem  of  Longevity.  Last 
of  all,  in  this  curious  procession,  came  the  Imperial 
Dragon,  of  huge  proportions.  Its  contortions,  as  it 
struggled  for  the  Flaming  Pearl,  emblematic  of  the 
unattainable,  were  most  curious.  All  these  figures 
made  their  obeisances  to  Their  Majesties  and  the  Em- 
press. They  were  accompanied  by  splendidly  clothed 


The  Emperor's  Birthday 

warriors,  heralds,  princes,  and  many  gorgeously  at, 
tired  attendants,  bearing  banners  and  escutcheons. 
After  the  procession  had  made  the  tour  several  times, 
the  dragon  stopped  with  his  huge  head  in  the  middle 
of  the  stage,  made  an  obeisance  to  His  Majesty,  then 
raised  it  with  a  mighty  roar  and  spouted  forth— a 
copious  shower  of  fresh  spring  water,  which  sprinkled 
the  whole  flower-filled  court !  The  Empress  and  Prin- 
cesses were  all  in  the  secret  and  knew  what  was  com- 
ing, but  they  kept  it  from  me,  and  much  enjoyed  my 
start  of  surprise  as  some  of  the  spray  fell  upon  me,  as 
I  had  advanced  to  the  very  edge  of  the  verandah  in 
order  to  miss  nothing. 

When  all  was  finished,  the  screen  was  again  re- 
moved and  the  great  glass  doors  of  the  Imperial  loge 
were  thrown  open,  so  that  Her  Majesty  and  the  Em- 
peror could  be  seen.  The  visiting  Princes  and  Nobles 
came  forward  from  their  places  and  knelt  in  a  body, 
though  still  observing  the  laws  of  precedence  as  to 
their  ranks.  They  knelt  three  times,  and  bowed  their 
heads  to  the  ground  nine  times  to  thank  Their  Majes- 
ties for  the  entertainment  they  had  received.  To 
receive  these  prostrations  from  the  Princes,  the  Em- 
peror and  Empress  Dowager  assumed  their  Buddha- 
like  poses  and  acknowledged  the  genuflexions  by  a 
formal  inclination  of  their  heads.  When  the  Princes 
had  retired,  the  actors,  clothed  in  their  usual  gar- 
ments, came  to  the  front  of  the  stage  and  knelt  and 
"  kow-towed,"  but  Their  Majesties  did  not  return  this 
salutation. 

When  the  Princes  and  players  had  left  and  the 
Imperial  party  was  alone,  cushions  were  brought  into 

85 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  middle  of  the  court,  the  Emperor  and  Empress 
and  secondary  wife  knelt  thereon,  while  their  "  Great 
Ancestress,"  the  Empress  Dowager,  preceded  by  aco- 
lytes, swinging  golden  incense-burners  which  gave 
forth  azure  clouds  of  perfumed  smoke,  came  down 
the  steps  to  the  weird  accompaniment  of  the  flutes  and 
cymbals  playing  the  "  Imperial  Hymn."  The  Emperor 
and  Empress  knelt  to  do  Her  Majesty  homage,  as  the 
greatest  living  member  of  their  Ancestors.  When  she 
reached  them,  they  arose  and  followed  her,  and  the 
three  moved  along  in  stately  procession  to  the  slow 
beating  of  the  cymbals,  followed  by  the  Princesses  and 
Ladies  and  all  the  attendant  eunuchs.  The  subtle  per- 
fume of  the  incense,  the  stately  rhythm,  the  splendid 
costumes,  the  flashing  jewels  and  brilliant  colors, 
made  a  magnificent  picture  never  to  be  forgotten. 
The  Imperial  procession  moved  through  several  sunlit 
courts  until  it  finally  came  to  the  entrance  of  the 
Sacred  Hall,  containing  the  Ancestral  tablets;  here 
the  Empress  Dowager  stopped  at  the  threshold 
until  His  Majesty  and  the  young  Empress  had 
passed  within,  to  complete  the  ceremonies  of  the 
day  by  worshiping  and  kneeling  together  before 
the  tablets  of  their  Ancestors.  The  music  ceased. 
The  ceremony  was  finished.  His  Majesty  the  Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu  had  accomplished  another  year. 

l  Generally  written  "  jui,"  but  pronounced  as  I  have  written  it. 


86 


CHAPTER  X 

PEKING— THE  SEA  PALACE 

rilHE  Autumnal  Sacrifices  to  his  Ancestors  and  His 
JL  Majesty's  consequent  three  days'  abstinence,  to 
prepare  for  them,  put  a  stop  to  further  festivities 
after  the  Birthday,  which  would  have  otherwise  con- 
tinued for  several  days  longer.  The  day  after  the 
Birthday  was  a  quiet  one  at  the  Palace.  Her  Majesty 
was  feeling  tired  and  did  not  care  to  pose,  after  the 
Audience  in  the  morning.  The  visiting  Princesses 
and  Ladies  were  preparing  to  leave  the  Palace;  the 
eunuchs  and  Her  Majesty's  maids  were  bustling 
around,  preparing  for  the  moving  of  the  Court  to 
Peking,  for  Her  Majesty  and  the  Court,  as  well  as  the 
Emperor,  were  to  go  into  one  of  the  City  Palaces  the 
following  day.  Her  Majesty  ordered  luncheon  to  be 
served  in  one  of  the  beautiful  summer-houses  in  the 
gardens,  about  a  mile  from  the  Palace,  for  she  said  a 
change  would  be  good  for  all. 

This  summer-house,  or  rather  Palace,  situated  on  a 
hill  overlooking  the  lake,  was  one  of  Her  Majesty's 
favorite  resorts.  She  often  went  to  it,  after  a  tiring 
Audience,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  there,  lunch- 
ing and  dining,  and  even  taking  her  siesta  there. 
Whenever  she  went  to  any  of  these  Palaces  inside  the 

87 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

inclosure,  she  always  invited  all  the  Ladies  of  the 
Court  to  accompany  her.  It  made  a  change  in  the 
monotony  of  their  lives.  This  Palace  was  very 
luxuriously  fitted  up,  and  contained  a  splendid 
library,  with  thousands  of  volumes  of  the  classics 
and  Her  Majesty's  favorite  authors.  The  view  from 
its  broad  verandahs  and  fair  marble  terraces  was  one 
of  the  finest,  even  of  the  many  beautiful  ones,  in  the 
grounds.  We  lunched  on  the  wide  verandah  and 
drank  in  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  No  wonder  Her 
Majesty  loved  this  spot !  Beneath  lay  the  beautiful 
grounds  of  the  Summer  Palace,  with  its  calm  lake  and 
winding  streams.  On  an  eminence  beyond,  the  grace- 
ful seven-storied  pagoda  that  forms  so  characteristic 
a  feature  in  all  the  views  of  the  Summer  Palace, 
proudly  reared  its  stately  height.  On  the  right  lay 
the  temple-crowned  hills,  the  upturned  roofs  of  their 
buildings  nestling  on  their  slopes  like  a  flight  of 
gigantic  gaily-hued  birds,  with  wings  outspread.  In 
the  distance,  beyond  a  soft  gray  undulating  land- 
scape, with  fields  of  brilliant  green  here  and  there, 
lay  Peking,  with  its  walls  and  towers,  enveloped  in  a 
golden  haze. 

After  luncheon  and  the  siesta,  Her  Majesty  called 
me  up  and  said  she  was  to  go  into  Peking  on  the 
morrow,  and  asked  whether  I  wished  the  portrait  to 
be  taken  in  for  the  three  days  the  Court  was  to 
remain  in  the  City.  She  said  she  would  be  much 
occupied  with  ceremonies  and  sacrifices,  and  there 
would  be  but  little  time  for  painting,  but  if  I  wished 
to  work  she  might  be  able  to  give  me  a  short  sitting ! 
I  told  her  I  did  not  care  to  have  the  portrait  taken 

88 


Peking— The  Sea  Palace 

into  the  City,  for  I  knew  it  would  not  be  possible  to 
get  a  room  with  the  same  light  as  that  in  which  I  had 
begun  the  picture.  When  she  found  I  did  not  care  to 
paint  in  Peking,  she  suggested  that  I  go  to  the  United 
States  Legation  and  spend  the  time  of  the  Court's  so- 
journ at  the  Sea  Palace.  It  had  been  more  than  two 
weeks  since  I  had  seen  Mrs.  Conger,  or  been  in  the 
Legation  quarter,  and  I  was  delighted  at  Her  Majesty's 
kind  forethought  in  allowing  me  to  spend  these  days 
at  the  Legation.  She,  however,  suggested  that,  as  I 
had  not  seen  the  Sea  Palace,  where  the  Court  was  to 
go,  I  might  enjoy  coming  there  for  the  day— and 
spending  some  of  the  time  in  seeing  the  Palace  and 
grounds.  She  knew  how  I  enjoyed  seeing  these 
beautiful  Palaces,  and  this  was  another  proof  of 
her  consideration.  She  said  she  would  be  much  occu- 
pied with  the  ceremonies,  but  that  she  would  map  out 
a  nice  day  for  me,  and  would  herself  take  me  for  a 
walk !  She  added,  "  This  will  give  you  a  chance  to 
study  me,  so  your  time  will  not  be  entirely  spent  in 
vain."  She  said  we  would  resume  the  portrait  on  the 
Court's  return  to  the  Summer  Palace. 

After  our  return  to  her  Throne-room,  and  when  we 
had  finished  dinner,  she  told  me  I  had  better  go  into 
the  room  where  the  portrait  and  my  materials  were 
kept,  when  I  was  not  working  on  it,  and  said  I  had 
better  overlook  its  being  put  away  myself.  She  fol- 
lowed me  into  the  room,  and  herself  aided  and  directed 
the  arrangement  of  things.  She  ordered  the  "sacred 
picture  "  (for  this  is  what  the  Chinese  call  a  likeness 
of  a  reigning  Emperor  or  Empress)  to  be  attached  to 
the  wall  with  yellow  cords  and  covered  with  a  trans- 

89 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

parent  yellow  silk,  box-like  screen,  which  had  been 
especially  made  to  protect  it  from  dust.  The  portrait 
was  treated,  from  its  very  beginning,  as  an  almost 
sacred  object,  with  the  respect  a  reverent  officiant  ac- 
cords the  Holy  Vessels  of  the  Church.  Even  my  paint- 
ing materials  seemed  to  be  invested  with  a  sort  of 
semi-sacred  quality.  "When  Her  Maj  esty  felt  fatigued, 
and  indicated  that  the  sittings  were  finished,  my 
brushes  and  palette  were  taken  by  the  eunuch  from 
my  hands,  the  portrait  removed  from  the  easel  and 
reverently  consigned  to  the  room  that  had  been  set 
aside  for  it. 

The  next  morning  early,  I  preceded  the  Court  into 
Peking  and  went  directly  to  the  United  States  Lega- 
tion, where  I  was  warmly  welcomed  by  my  kind 
friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conger.  The  United  States 
Legation  occupied,  at  this  time,  a  Chinese  temple 
near  the  "  Water  Gate."  This  building  had  been 
given  to  the  United  States  Government  by  the  Chi- 
nese after  the  Boxer  rebellion,  and  was  occupied 
temporarily  by  the  Minister  of  the  United  States 
during  the  construction  of  the  new  Legation  on 
Legation  Street.  The  temple  Ijad  been  transformed 
into  a  comfortable  American  dwelling-place — its 
Chinese  individuality  having  been  preserved  wher- 
ever possible,  consistent  with  comfort.  The  shaded 
court,  filled  with  beautiful,  growing  flowers  (many  of 
them  gifts  from  the  Empress  Dowager  to  Mrs.  Con- 
ger), was  a  charming  spot.  While  distinctly  American 
as  to  its  artistic  comfort  and  furniture,  the  interior 
construction  and  decoration  of  the  drawing-room 
were  purely  Chinese,  which  gave  a  touch  of  Oriental 

90 


Peking— The  Sea  Palace 

"  couleur  locale  "  to  this  pleasant  haven  of  American 
hospitality,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conger  dispensed 
their  kindly  favors. 

Mrs.  Conger,  by  her  own  individual  initiative,  has 
done  much  to  bring  about  a  friendly  social  feeling 
between  the  Chinese  and  foreign  ladies.  It  was  she 
who  first  thought  of  entertaining  the  Princesses  and 
Ladies  of  the  Court  in  her  own  home ;  and  the  United 
States  Legation  was  the  first  of  the  Legations  in 
Peking  to  issue  an  invitation  to  the  Ladies  of  the 
Court,  or  to  entertain  them.  It  is  the  first  Legation 
to  entertain  other  Chinese  ladies,  wives  of  officials 
or  of  the  gentry.  Several  other  Legations  have 
since  entertained  the  Ladies  of  the  Court,  but  in 
doing  so  they  were  only  following  Mrs.  Conger's  ini- 
tiative. While  doing  so  much  to  bring  about  friendly 
social  relations  with  the  Chinese,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Con- 
ger receive  all  Americans,  regardless  of  their  impor- 
tance or  social  position,  with  a  kind  cordiality.  I  was 
delighted  to  be  in  their  charming  family  circle  once 
more.  I  found  my  room  at  the  Legation,  with  its 
sweet  touches  of  homeliness,  a  delightful  haven,  and 
my  visits  to  the  Legation  seemed  always  like  going 
home. 

The  next  morning  at  seven,  a  green  official  chair 
with  its  bearers  came  to  take  me  to  the  Sea  Palace.  I 
was  first  carried  to  the  Hsien-Liang-Hsu,  the  "  Temple 
of  the  loyal  and  virtuous,"  where  Li-Hung-Chang  for- 
merly had  his  home  in  Peking,  and  a  part  of  which 
the  Yu-Kengs  had  arranged  for  their  home  after  their 
return  from  their  mission  at  Paris,  their  own  semi- 
foreign  house  having  been  destroyed  by  the  Boxers. 

91 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

At  the  Hsien-Liang-Hsu  I  was  joined  by  the  Ladies 
Yu-Keng,  and  we  continued  on  to  the  Sea  Palace. 
Our  chairs,  with  their  bearers,  were  preceded  and  fol- 
lowed by  mounted  attendants. 

The  Sea  Palace  is  a  comparatively  new  Palace, 
most  of  it  having  been  built  within  the  last  fifty 
years.  Our  chairs  were  met  at  the  northern  entrance 
by  the  same  eunuchs  who  had  been  set  aside  for  our 
service  at  the  Summer  Palace.  They  led  us  to  the 
boats  in  waiting  to  carry  us  across  the  lake,  to  the 
buildings  occupied  by  Her  Majesty  and  the  Court. 
These  boats  were  of  the  houseboat  variety,  with  an 
inclosed  cabin  forming  the  center,  and  a  platform 
running  all  around,  on  which  the  rowers  walked  up 
and  down  propelling  it.  The  interior  was  carpeted, 
with  a  cushioned  lounge,  tea-tables,  and  chairs.  The 
eunuchs  and  attendants  sat  outside  on  the  prow.  It 
takes  twenty  minutes  to  row  across  the  lake  in  one  of 
these  boats,  but  the  movement  is  delightful.  When 
we  reached  the  other  side,  we  landed  and  went  through 
several  courts  to  that  of  one  of  Her  Majesty's  private 
chapels.  She,  herself,  had  just  been  making  an  offering 
here,  and  was  coming  out,  preceded  by  acolytes  swing- 
ing incense-burners,  the  musicians  playing  the  "  Im- 
perial Hymn."  When  she  saw  us,  Her  Majesty  called 
us  to  her  side,  asked  if  I  had  had  a  good  trip  into 
Peking,  and  how  Mrs.  Conger  was.  She  then  ordered 
the  eunuchs  to  show  us  our  apartments.  We  were 
led  through  corridors  and  courts  to  a  charming  pa- 
vilion which  was  to  be  our  resting-place  while  at  the 
Sea  Palace.  It  had  exquisitely  and  elaborately  carved 
woodwork  arches  with  heavy  satin  curtains,  which 

92 


Peking  — The  Sea  Palace 

divided  it  into  five  rooms.  After  we  had  rested  a  few 
moments  here,  we  returned  to  the  Throne-room.  Her 
Majesty  told  me  she  had  arranged  for  me  to  go  out 
in  one  of  the  boats,  and  that  I  was  to  be  shown  all 
that  I  cared  to  see,  or  at  least  as  much  as  I  could  see 
in  that  day.  A  eunuch  standing  near  her  held  a 
number  of  strips  of  embroidery  in  his  hand.  They 
were  embroidered  head-dresses,  which  are  placed  upon 
the  heads  of  the  Buddhas  during  the  great  ceremo- 
nies in  the  Palace  temples.  She  explained  their  use 
to  me  and  then  dismissed  us,  and  we  went  out  to  the 
landing-place  on  the  lake. 

A  number  of  boats  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  steps — 
among  them  a  charming  open  barge  with  blue  silken 
awnings.  As  I  had  not  been  in  a  boat  of  this  kind 
before,  and  as  I  was  told  to  choose,  I  selected  it  for  our 
row;  and  we  started  off,  followed  by  several  other 
boats  carrying  eunuchs  and  refreshments,  with  the 
necessary  utensils  for  serving  them.  Our  head  eunuch, 
one  of  the  six  highest  in  the  Palace,  who  had  been 
appointed  to  look  after  me  and  the  "  sacred  picture," 
was  very  intelligent,  an  enlightened  lover  of  Chinese 
art,  and  a  great  collector  of  old  Chinese  paintings 
and  curios.  He  had  been,  in  his  youth,  one  of  Her 
Majesty's  favorite  players,  was  said  to  have  great 
dramatic  talent,  and,  when  he  was  younger,  had  a 
fine  voice  for  singing.  Memory  is  among  the  most 
esteemed  of  the  intellectual  faculties  by  the  Chinese 
and  reaches  a  high  state  of  cultivation  with  them 
Many  of  the  eunuchs  can  repeat  whole  pages  from 
the  classics,  and  some  are  accomplished  literati.  This 
eunuch  had  a  good  speaking  voice,  and  recited  poems 

93 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

and  told  stories  in  a  charming  way.  As  we  were 
rowed  along,  lie  stood  at  the  prow  and  recited  verse 
after  verse  of  classic  lore  and  told  stories  of  the  he- 
roic times.  He  intoned  them  like  a  recitative — the 
rhythm  so  perfectly  observed,  the  intoning  so  musical, 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  listen  to  him,  though  I  could  not 
understand. 

I  lay  back  among  the  cushions,  as  we  glided  softly 
along,  past  beautiful  pavilions,  with  splendid  trees 
overhanging  the  lake  and  lovely  flowers  growing  wher- 
ever there  was  a  place  to  plant  them.  The  tall  figure 
of  the  splendidly  attired  eunuch,  standing  in  the  prow, 
repeating,  with  rhythmic  cadence,  poems  and  stories, 
gave  one  the  illusion  and  charm  of  the  "Arabian 
Nights,"  which  I  had  fed  upon  in  my  childhood,  and 
which  I  seemed  to  be  living  through  to-day. 

We  soon  came  to  a  tiny  islet  in  the  lake,  with  a 
sort  of  open  temple  built  over  a  black  marble  tablet 
which  bore  an  incised  inscription.  I  asked  to  land 
and  examine  it,  and  San-Gunia,  the  eldest  of  Lady 
Yu-Keng's  daughters,  a  remarkably  clever  girl  and 
well  posted  in  Chinese  literature,  translated  the  char- 
acters. The  inscription  was  a  poem,  a  tribute  to  the 
Great  Father  who  had  graciously  placed  there  this 
island,  which  "  by  night  was  bathed  in  the  glory  of  the 
Moon  and  Sun-kissed  by  day,  while  the  crystal  waters 
of  the  lake  formed  a  brilliant  necklace  on  its  breast." 

Beyond  the  island  I  saw  a  temple.  There  was  no 
landing-place,  and  the  temple  was  under  repair.  The 
head  eunuch,  however,  seeing  how  much  I  wished  to 
go  up,  had  the  boat  draw  near  and  steps  brought,  up 
which  we  clambered,  as  best  we  could. 

94 


Peking-  The  Sea  Palace 

This  was  one  of  the  temples  so  ruthlessly  destroyed 
and  unnecessarily  desecrated  by  the  Allies  during  their 
occupation  of  Peking.  We  passed  through  the  vege- 
table garden  of  the  monks— all  shorn  of  its  glory,  but 
where  a  few  vegetables  and  flowers  still  grew — and  we 
went  on  through  a  beautiful  grove  of  arbor- vitae,  with 
centuries-old  trees,  planted  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  and 
came  into  the  court  of  the  temple.  Even  in  its 
dilapidated  state,  with  the  workmen  still  in  it,  it  was 
beautiful,  and  before  it  was  so  injured  it  must  have 
been  a  splendid  example  of  Chinese  temple  architec- 
ture. The  cells  of  the  lama  monks  were  now  unoc- 
cupied, and  there  were  no  officiating  priests.  Work- 
men were  repairing  and  regilding  the  Great  Buddha, 
and  most  of  the  effigies  of  the  saints  and  images  of 
the  personified  attributes  were  standing  in  dejected 
rows  in  the  corridors  awaiting  the  completion  of  their 
niches  and  chapels.  The  interior,  of  splendid  pro- 
portions, glowed  in  beautiful  somber  colors.  The 
carved-wood  ceilings  were  in  pendative  designs,  re- 
calling those  I  had  seen  in  the  Alhambra;  but  the 
painting,  in  primary  colors,  of  this  elaborately  carved 
ceiling  gave  it  a  greater  richness  of  coloring  and  lent 
to  the  interior  a  warmer,  deeper  harmony  than  the 
white  Moorish  designs.  The  chapels  behind  the 
high  altar  were  separated  from  the  main  temple 
and  from  each  other  by  beautifully  carved  wooden 
screens,  with  rich  brocaded  silk  of  brilliant  green  (the 
color  of  Buddha),  stretched  behind  the  open  work  and 
showing  through  the  interstices  of  the  carving.  These 
chapels  are  for  the  Sacred  writings  and  for  the  vest- 
ments of  the  priests,  and  are  also  used  for  robing- 

95 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

and  retiring-rooms  for  the  officiants.  They  cor- 
respond to  the  sacristies  of  the  Catholic  Churches  in 
Europe. 

The  space  behind  the  altar  was  of  apse-like  form, 
and  opened  upon  a  semi-circular  marble  terrace,  thirty 
feet  high,  with  a  balustrade  of  the  conventionalized 
lotus  design  so  dear  to  the  Chinese  architects.  From 
this  terrace  we  had  a  beautiful  view  of  the  Coal 
Hill,  surmounted  by  the  curious  Dagoba,  so  well 
known  in  all  views  of  the  Imperial  City,  as  well  as 
of  the  belvedere  that  marks  the  spot  where  the  last 
Emperor  of  the  Mings  committed  suicide  when  he 
was  conquered.  At  the  two  extremities  of  the  ter- 
race were  charming  octagonal  summer-houses,  where 
the  priests  could  go  for  rest  and  contemplation,  and, 
while  murmuring  their  prayers,  could  feast  their  eyes 
upon  a  charming  view.  After  a  few  moments  on 
the  terrace,  enjoying  the  beautiful  view,  we  passed 
through  the  cells  of  the  monks,  which  were  large  and 
comfortable,  and,  finally,  out  again  into  the  sun- 
flecked  shade  of  the  marble-paved  court,  where  we 
sat  under  low-hanging  boughs  of  a  splendid  elm, 
and  the  eunuchs  brought  out  tables  and  served  us 
with  tea  and  refreshments. 

Then  we  took  the  boats  and  were  rowed  on  further, 
till  we  came  beneath  a  steep  battlemented  wall,  sur- 
mounted by  the  rich  green  of  arbor- vitaB  trees.  I  was 
surprised  to  learn  that  this  was  another  temple,  for  it 
looked  more  like  an  old  feudal  castle  than  a  peaceful 
temple  to  the  mild  Buddha.  We  landed  at  the  foot 
of  the  beautiful  white  Marble  Bridge  that  spans  the 
narrow  northern  portion  of  the  lake,  just  under  the 


96 


Peking  — The  Sea  Palace 

stone  wall  on  which  the  temple  was  built.  We  were 
carried  up  the  steep,  winding  incline  in  our  chairs.  It 
was  a  most  picturesque  approach,  and  when  we  reached 
the  top,  with  the  beautiful  temple  lying  peacefully  on 
these  martial  heights,  we  found  it  well  worth  the  climb. 
There  was  a  grove  of  arbor- vitae  trees  leading  to 
this  temple.  These  trees  seem  to  be  sacred  to  the 
temples  and  burial-places  in  China,  for  all  I  ever 
visited  in  China  were  either  built  in  a  grove  of  arbor- 
vitas,  or  had  some  of  these  evergreens  growing  near. 
Did  the  Greeks  get  their  idea  and  name  of  the 
ever-living  tree  from  the  Chinese,  who  regard  the 
arbor-vitse  as  the  tree  of  life  and  emblem  of  Immor- 
tality? This  temple  has  a  great  Buddha  of  white 
jade,  with  jeweled  stole  and  cuffs.  Its  expression  of 
placid  contemplation  and  kindly  thought  is  typically 
Chinese.  When  Buddhism  was  first  brought  into 
China  from  India,  the  Buddhas  had  an  Indian  type ; 
and  not  until  the  religion  had  taken  firm  hold  of  the 
people,  was  its  divinity  clothed  in  a  Chinese  person- 
ality, and  a  national  individuality  assumed.  The  day 
of  our  visit,  the  great  jade  Buddha  was  decked  in  a 
mantle  of  Imperial  yellow  satin,  with  a  richly  em- 
broidered Manchu  hood,  such  as  I  had  seen  that  morn- 
ing in  Her  Majesty's  Throne-room,  on  its  head.  Tall, 
lighted  candles,  fresh  offerings  of  fruit  and  flowers, 
and  the  smoking  censer  standing  on  the  altar,  showed 
there  had  been  services  that  morning,  and  added  to 
the  religious  atmosphere  of  the  interior.  The  service 
had  been  a  continuation  of  the  commemorative  cele- 
brations in  honor  of  the  Emperor's  Birthday  and  his 
sacrifice  to  his  Ancestors. 

97 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

The  principal  court  of  this  temple  is  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  in  the  Sea  Palace,  shaded  by  magnificent 
cedars  and  stately  elms.  In  the  center,  there  was  a 
magnificent  cistern  of  verd-antique,  splendidly  carved 
in  dragons.  Over  this  cistern  was  a  marble  portico, 
its  columns  supporting  a  curious  concave,  copper 
roof.  This  roof  had  been  a  Palace  "  cooking  utensil," 
that  had  been  used  in  former  times  to  prepare  food 
for  the  poor ;  hence  its  extraordinary  size.  When  it 
was  worn  out  in  this  capacity  it  was  used  as  the  in- 
terior of  the  dome  over  the  temple  well,  where  the 
poor  and  weary  could  come  to  rest  under  its  shadow 
and  drink  of  the  water  of  the  well  it  protected.  There 
were  cells  and  outhouses  for  the  monks  in  this 
temple  also.  But  as  we  sat  in  the  shady  court, 
looking  across  the  sunlit  lake,  the  sky  became  sud- 
denly overcast,  and  we  took  our  chairs  and  hurried 
down  the  steep,  paved  road  that  led  from  the 
temple  to  the  lake.  We  did  not  take  the  boats 
again  on  reaching  the  lake,  but  were  carried,  in 
our  chairs,  across  the  beautiful  Marble  Bridge.  Just 
beyond  us,  we  saw  the  towers  of  the  first  Catholic 
Cathedral  ever  built  in  Peking.  It  was  built  on  land 
given  to  the  Catholics  by  the  Emperor;  but,  when 
finished,  its  towers  were  found  to  overlook  the  Palace 
grounds;  so  the  Cathedral  was  bought  by  the  Em- 
peror, and  land  was  given  the  Mission  further  on,  and 
another  Cathedral  was  built.  The  first  Cathedral  is 
now  within  the  Walls  of  the  Sea  Palace,  and  is  visi- 
ble from  every  part  of  the  grounds  of  the  two  Peking 
Palaces.  It  seems  a  strange  anomaly  to  see  this 
Christian  Church  within  the  Precincts  of  the  Palace  of 

98 


Peking  — The  Sea  Palace 

an  Oriental  potentate,  who  is  one  of  the  representa- 
tives on  earth  of  the  "  Great  Buddha." 

It  began  to  rain,  and  the  chair-bearers  ran  along  to 
the  Palace  without  stopping  again,  and  we  were  soon 
called  to  dinner  in  the  Throne-room,  overlooking  the 
small  Theater,  for  there  are  two  Theaters  in  the  Sea 
Palace,  one  for  winter  use  and  one  for  summer.  The 
latter  is  built  on  piles  over  the  waters  of  a  canal. 
Building  the  stage  over  water  is  supposed  to  give  a 
peculiar  musical  resonance  to  the  voices  of  the  actors, 
softening  the  sounds  and  making  them  more  pleasant 
to  the  ear. 

After  dinner  in  the  beautiful  summer  Throne-room, 
with  the  rippling  waters  just  beneath  the  windows, 
we  made  our  adieus,  first  to  Her  Majesty  and  then  to 
the  young  Empress  and  Ladies,  and  went  out  to  be 
again  rowed  over  the  beautiful  lake  to  the  outside 
gates.  The  sun  was  setting !  The  arches  of  the 
Marble  Bridge  had  become  a  beautiful,  deep  violet 
hue,  and  spanned  the  waters  of  the  lake,  now  a  gleam- 
ing mass  of  liquid  gold.  The  sky  beyond  shone 
through  the  masses  of  foliage  with  a  golden  glow,  and 
the  towers  of  the  old  Cathedral  were  strongly  silhou- 
etted against  this  brilliant  background.  The  scene 
was  an  ideal  one.  A  beautiful  silence  pervaded  every- 
thing, made  the  more  rhythmic  and  intense  by  the 
regular  movement  of  the  oars  in  the  water.  When 
we  reached  the  other  side  of  the  lake  we  were  con- 
ducted to  our  green  chairs,  which  were  waiting  with- 
out the  gate,  and  were  swiftly  carried  back  to  the 
Legation. 


99 


CHAPTER   XI 

SOME  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  HER  MAJESTY— SECOND 
VISIT  TO   THE  SEA  PALACE 

I  SPENT  the  next  day  at  the  Legation,  and  thor- 
oughly enjoyed  it,  but  I  was  glad  to  think  that  I 
was  to  spend  the  following  day  at  the  Palace  again. 
The  study  of  Her  Majesty  had  now  become  to  me  like 
a  thrilling  novel.  I  could  not  bear  to  lay  it  down ; 
and  when  I  was  forced  to  do  so,  I  was  longing  to  be 
able  to  resume  it.  She  was  such  a  delightful  surprise 
to  me.  I  had  heard  and  read  so  much  of  her,  before 
I  went  to  the  Palace,  and  nothing  that  I  had  heard  or 
read  had  at  all  prepared  me  for  the  reality,  so  charm- 
ing, so  unusual  was  her  personality.  Not  charming 
and  interesting  by  fits  and  starts,  but  always  so ! 
She  was  so '  considerate  and  tactful,  and  seemed  so 
really  kind  in  her  relations  with  those  who  sur- 
rounded her.  I  had  been  now  nearly  a  month  in 
daily  contact  with  her.  I  saw  her,  not  only  when  she 
sat  for  the  portrait ;  I  was  with  her  the  greater  part 
of  the  day,  and  I  began  to  let  myself  go  in  my  admira- 
tion of  her.  The  days  seemed  flat  and  stale  when  I 
could  not  see  her— so  full  of  interest  and  charm  I 
found  her.  She  was  a  woman  of  such  infinite  variety ! 
There  was  always  something  new  and  fresh  to  study 

IOO 


Some  Characteristics  of  Her  Majesty 

in  her.  She  was  the  very  embodiment  of  the  Eternal 
Feminine.  She  was  at  once  a  child  and  a  woman 
with  strong,  virile  qualities.  She  would  go  into  the 
Audience  Hall,  transact  weighty  affairs  of  State  for 
three  hours,  and  then  go  for  her  walks  or  excursions, 
and  take  a  childish  interest  in  the  simplest  pleasures. 
She  would  be  seated  in  one  of  her  Throne-rooms  in 
trivial  conversation  with  her  Ladies,  when  an  Official 
Despatch,  in  its  yellow  silk  case,  would  be  brought  in, 
and  presented  by  the  eunuch  on  bended  knees.  Her 
face  would  immediately  become  full  of  serious  in- 
terest; she  would  bend  her  brows  and  become  the 
statesman ;  a  few  moments  later,  when  she  had  duly 
considered,  and  given  orders  relative  to  the  despatch, 
she  became  again  the  woman,  full  of  interest  in  her 
flowers,  dresses,  and  jewels. 

A  distinguished  Frenchman  once  said  of  Her  Maj- 
esty the  Empress  Dowager,  "  C'est  le  seul  homme  de 
la  Chine,"  and  she  deserves  the  appellation  of  "  man," 
if  it  goes  to  mean  superior  intelligence  and  executive 
ability ;  but  it  was  not  the  "  statesman "  that  I  had 
the  best  opportunity  of  studying.  It  was  the  woman 
in  her  private  lif e ;  and  I  had  unusual  advantages  for 
this  study,  and  the  more  I  saw  of  her,  the  more  re- 
markable I  found  her !  Her  favors  to  the  Ladies  of 
the  Court  were  very  impartially  distributed.  She 
had  her  favorites,  but  she  did  not  allow  them  to  gain 
any  supremacy  over  her,  nor  to  warp  her  judgment. 
Although  her  "  entourage  "  never  expressed  an  opinion 
contrary  to  hers,  in  her  presence,  and  though  she 
always  accepted  their  expressed  views  in  the  most 
courteous  manner,  one  could  see  she  was  not  imposed 

IOI 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

upon,  and  that  she  knew,  perfectly  well,  their  real 
opinions,  so  great  was  her  natural  penetration 

I  was  astonished  to  find  in  what  veneration  the 
Empress  Dowager  was  really  held  by  the  Ladies  of  the 
Court  and  her  "  entourage."  Her  favorite  title,  and 
that  by  which  she  has  been  longest  known  to  the 
courtiers,  is,  " Lao-Fo-yeh,"  the  "Old  Buddha," 
which  shows  that  they  invest  her  with  sacred  quali- 
ties. After  her  return  from  Hsi-An  Fu,  where  the 
Court  went  when  the  allied  troops  occupied  Peking, 
and  where  the  sacred  Persons  of  Her  Majesty  and 
the  Emperor  suffered  so  many  hardships  and  endured 
them  so  bravely,  the  courtiers  gave  her  another,  a 
closer  and  more  affectionate  appellation,  "Lao-Tzu- 
Tzung"  (The  Old  Ancestress).  This  was  the  title  by 
which  she  was  called  in  the  Palace,  by  the  Emperor, 
Empress,  and  Princesses,  and  by  which  she  allowed  me 
to  address  her. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  Sea  Palace,  the  day  of  my 
second  visit  there,  after  making  our  bows  to  Her 
Majesty,  we  started,  in  our  chairs,  to  the  Hall  of  the 
Mongolian  Princes.  This  is  a  magnificent  hall  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  park,  some  distance  away 
from  Her  Majesty's  and  the  Emperor's  Palaces.  It  is 
of  one  story,  as  usual,  but  this  nearly  forty  feet  high. 
The  interior  is  spacious,  with  only  a  few  dragon  tables 
and  chairs  and  no  ornaments  or  other  furniture. 
There  is  a  raised  dais  at  the  back,  with  several  steps 
leading  up  to  it.  Upon  the  dais  stood  a  splendid 
Throne  of  archaic  design,  and  over  the  Throne  there 
are  two  huge  tablets  of  black  marble,  with  inscrip- 
tions in  Chinese  and  Manchu  characters.  This 

IO2 


Second  Visit  to  the  Sea  Palace 

great  hall  is  used  only  for  receiving  the  Mongolian 
Princes  on  their  annual  visit  to  Peking,  when  they 
come  in  state,  with  hundreds  of  followers  and  retain- 
ers, to  pay  homage  and  tribute  to  the  Emperor  of 
China.  The  rear  of  the  hall  opens  on  a  court  sur- 
rounded by  smaller  buildings,  which  are  used  as 
waiting-rooms  for  the  retainers  and  followers  of  the 
Princes. 

From  this  hall  we  were  carried  in  our  chairs  along 
the  banks  of  the  lake,  beyond  the  Marble  Bridge  to  a 
distant  part  of  the  grounds,  where  stands  the  famous 
Dragon  Wall.  Most  of  the  Chinese  houses  have  a 
sort  of  stone  screen  opposite  the  principal  gate  of 
entrance.  This  screen,  called  "A  Wall  of  Respect," 
often  has  some  sort  of  painted  or  carved  representa- 
tion of  a  dragon,  which  is  supposed  to  chase  away 
evil  spirits.  This  superstition  does  not  seem  to  obtain 
as  regards  the  residences  of  the  Son  of  Heaven,  for  I 
never  saw  a  dragon  wall  built  in  front  of  any  of  the 
entrances  to  the  buildings  in  the  Palace  inclosures. 
Perhaps  the  Son  of  Heaven  is  immune  from  the  visit 
of  demons,  or  is  it  that  the  rampant  Double  Dragon 
on  everything  Imperial  serves  as  sufficient  protection 
to  the  Palace  ?  The  Dragon  Wall,  in  the  Sea  Palace, 
must  have  formed  a  part  of  some  of  the  outside  pal- 
aces or  temples  which  were  brought  into  the  sacred 
inclosure  when  the  Emperor  Hsien-Feng  decided  to 
make  it  a  place  of  residence  and  enlarge  its  domain. 
Many  foreigners  in  Peking  can  remember  when  the 
beautiful  Marble  Bridge,  of  such  noble  proportions, 
of  such  exquisite  design,  now  within  the  Precincts, 
was  used  by  the  public.  However  it  got  there,  the 

103 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Dragon  Wall  is  at  present  within  the  Palace  inclo- 
sure,  though  in  an  unused  part  of  the  grounds— not 
in  front  of  any  "  residence,"  and  hence  not  filling  its 
mission  as  a  "  Wall  of  Respect,"  to  keep  the  wicked 
spirits  from  crossing  the  threshold.  This  Dragon 
Wall  of  beautiful  white  marble  is  of  great  beauty, 
exquisitely  carved  in  its  minutest  details,  and  fine 
in  general  conception  and  line. 

Her  Majesty  had  returned  from  the  Audience  when 
we  got  back  to  the  Palace  from  our  morning  prom- 
enade. She  was  now  attending  to  household  affairs. 
The  eunuchs  were  bringing  up,  for  her  inspection, 
the  baskets  of  splendid  fruits,  which  are  daily  sent 
into  the  Palace.  Among  others,  there  was  a  basket 
of  magnificent  grapes.  She  was  delighted  with  their 
beauty,  and  held  up  one  splendid  bunch  against  the 
light,  before  she  tasted  them,  remarking  that  "  the 
beautiful  color  lent  an  added  zest  to  the  delicious 
fruit."  Her  Majesty  then  lunched,  while  we  joined 
the  Empress  and  Princesses  on  the  verandah,  after 
which  we  lunched  again  in  this  beautiful  Throne- 
room.  The  meals  taken  with  the  young  Empress  and 
Ladies  of  the  Court  had  now  come  to  be  gay  reunions. 
Her  Majesty  would  ask  us  every  day  to  lunch  or  dine 
at  her  table,  and  I  rarely  took  a  meal  in  my  own  quar- 
ters. I  had  discarded  the  knife  and  fork  and  was 
learning  to  use  the  chop-sticks.  I  thought  them  such 
graceful  implements  when  wielded  by  the  beautiful 
hands  of  the  Chinese  Ladies,  that  I  determined  to 
learn  their  use.  Though  I  never  became  an  adept 
with  them,  I  found  these  dainty  implements  perfectly 
adapted  for  eating  the  Chinese  food.  They  are  used 

104 


Second  Visit  to  the  Sea  Palace 

both  in  the  same  hand  like  twin  fairy  wands,  and 
seemed  to  me  much  more  delicate  and  graceful  than 
a  knife  and  fork.  My  efforts  at  using  them,  and  my 
desire  to  try  all  the  new  dishes,  amused  and  pleased 
the  Ladies.  Each  would  give  me  special  tidbits  from 
her  favorite  dishes ;  they  tried  to  teach  me  the  Chi- 
nese names  of  the  viands.  My  efforts  at  pronouncing 
these  names,  or  my  giving  them  to  the  wrong  dishes, 
sometimes  raised  peals  of  laughter  from  the  whole 
table.  Her  Majesty  often  heard  the  merriment,  and 
would  ask  us,  when  we  went  into  her  private  apart- 
ments after  the  meal,  what  had  been  the  cause ;  and 
sometimes  she  would  say,  "  What  has  '  Kergunia ' J 
said?" 

We  had  scarcely  finished  luncheon,  on  this  my  second 
day  at  the  Sea  Palace,  before  the  chairs  were  ordered 
for  a  promenade.  It  had  begun  to  rain,  and  the  air 
was  chilly ;  but  Her  Majesty  had  made  up  her  mind 
to  have  a  walk  at  that  hour,  and  nothing  ever  inter- 
fered with  her  plans,  in  so  far  as  she  was  able  to  carry 
them  out.  No  weather,  however  disagreeable  or  se- 
vere, ever  kept  her  from  an  outdoor  promenade  that 
she  had  planned.  The  open  chairs  were  brought,  as 
if  the  day  were  fine.  Her  Majesty  and  the  Empress 
took  their  seats  in  their  yellow  chairs.  Their  attend- 
ant eunuchs  unfurled  the  huge  yellow  umbrellas,  used 
only  for  Their  Imperial  Majesties  and  the  young  Em- 
press; the  second  Empress  took  her  orange-colored 
chair ;  the  Princesses  and  the  rest  of  us  seated  oar- 
selves  in  our  red  chairs,  and  our  eunuchs  raised  the 
red  umbrellas  over  us.  Her  Majesty  the  Empress 
and  Princesses,  clothed  in  the  brilliant  colors  daily 

105 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

worn,  the  eunuchs  still  wearing  their  richly  embroi- 
dered gala  costumes,  the  chair-bearers  still  clad  in 
the  festive  red,  the  yellow  and  red  chairs  with  the 
big  yellow,  orange,  and  red  umbrellas  made  a  quaint 
procession,  bright  with  color,  that  started  off  through 
the  courts  into  the  gardens. 

Her  Majesty  loves  every  phase  of  nature  and  every 
kind  of  weather ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  she  particu- 
larly loved  rain.  She  once  said  it  lent  such  a  poetic 
charm  to  the  landscape,  bathing  it  in  a  soft  mystery 
and  washing  away  all  defects.  Peking  is  a  dry  place, 
and  rain  is  a  rarity,  which  probably  accounts  for 
this  predilection.  Her  Majesty  was  in  great  good 
humor,  but  her  partiality  for  rain  was  not  shared  by  the 
other  Ladies  of  the  Palace,  and  these  rainy  promenades 
were  never  indulged  in  by  them  with  any  great  show 
of  delight.  Her  Majesty  likes  moving  swiftly,  and  the 
chair-bearers  always  run  when  she  leads  the  proces- 
sion. We  sped  along  for  about  fifteen  minutes,  when 
the  chairs  suddenly  stopped.  I  looked  to  see  for  what 
reason,  as  we  were  in  the  open,  with  no  shelter  any- 
where near,  and  the  rain  still  falling.  I  was  surprised 
to  see  Her  Majesty  was  already  out  of  her  chair  and 
walking  off  toward  a  "  gourd-arbor "  at  the  side  of 
the  paved  walk. 

The  gourd  is  much  esteemed  by  the  Chinese.  It  is 
emblematic  of  Fruitfulness  and  Prosperity,  and  is  a 
special  favorite  of  Her  Majesty's.  Those  cultivated 
at  the  Palace,  and  known  all  over  China  as  the  "  Im- 
perial Gourd,"  have  long  been  famous;  but  have 
reached  a  greater  state  of  perfection  than  ever  before, 
under  the  special  care  and  training  given  them  during 

106 


Second  Visit  to  the  Sea  Palace 

Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager's  reign.  They  are 
of  one  shape  only,  with  a  contracted  neck  and  two 
equal  parts  above  and  below;  but  they  are  of  all 
sizes,  from  one  to  twelve  inches,  the  one-inch  size  be- 
ing as  perfect  as  the  larger  ones.  They  are  grown  on 
trellises,  about  seven  feet  high,  and  the  vines  are  very 
carefully  trained,  so  that  each  of  the  much-prized 
fruit  may  attain  its  best  development  and  have  its 
proper  quota  of  light  and  sun. 

Her  Majesty  walked  through  the  mud  to  the  arbor. 
The  white  kid  six-inch-high  soles  of  her  shoes  sank 
deep  into  the  soft,  rain-soaked  soil.  The  eunuchs 
made  vain  attempts  to  protect  her  from  the  rain,  but 
she  went  imperturbably  on  and  was  soon  under  the 
gourd-arbor.  Here  she  leisurely  tried  several  of  the 
gourds,  to  see  if  they  were  properly  ripe ;  for  they 
must  be  pulled  at  a  certain  time  or  they  do  not  dry 
well.  After  looking  at  and  trying  a  number,  she  had 
several  gathered  and  went  back  to  her  chair.  The 
young  Empress  and  the  other  Ladies  had,  of  course, 
got  out  of  the  chairs  when  Her  Majesty  stopped. 
Luckily,  she  did  not  ask  us  to  go  into  the  arbor  with 
her ;  but  etiquette  obliged  us  to  stand  on  the  marble 
walk,  which  though  not  muddy  and  not  so  disagree- 
able as  the  walk  to  the  gourd-arbor,  was,  however, 
running  with  water.  When  Her  Majesty  took  her 
chair  again,  we  resumed  ours,  with  a  sigh  of  relief ; 
for,  though  we  were  unprotected  even  in  the  chairs, 
we  felt  the  truth  of  the  Oriental  saying,  "  It  is  better 
to  be  sitting  than  standing,"  etc. 

After  another  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  chair-bearers 
stopped  again.  We  had  come  to  another  gourd- 

107 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

arbor !  Her  Majesty  got  out  of  her  chair  and  exam- 
ined the  gourds  in  this  arbor  with  the  same  deliber- 
ation and  interest  as  she  had  looked  at  those  where 
we  first  stopped.  The  rain  was  now  falling  in  tor- 
rents, but  Her  Majesty's  spirits  seemed  to  go  up  in 
proportion  to  its  coming  down.  The  Ladies  were 
again  obliged  to  get  out  of  their  chairs !  They  stood 
in  two  dejected  lines,  with  the  eunuchs  holding,  as 
best  they  might,  the  red  umbrellas  over  each,  and  they 
vainly  tried  to  keep  up  an  appearance  of  interest  and 
enjoyment.  The  brave  finery  of  the  eunuchs,  who 
may  not  carry  umbrellas  when  on  service,  was  now 
hanging  in  limp  folds  about  them,  and  their  fine 
feathers  were  much  bedraggled.  The  Chinese  Ladies 
had  their  two-inch-high,  kid-covered  cork-soles  to  pro- 
tect their  feet  from  the  water ;  but  mine,  in  thin  kid 
slippers,  were  soaking.  The  picture  of  the  dejected 
Ladies,  the  rain-soaked  eunuchs,  was,  however,  so 
amusing,  that  I  quite  forgot  my  own  discomfort  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  situation.  After  another 
twenty  minutes'  run,  with  the  rain  still  falling,  Her 
Majesty  gave  the  word  and  the  procession  turned 
toward  the  Hall  of  the  Mongolian  Princes.  The 
great  doors  were  thrown  open,  and  we  were,  at  last, 
under  shelter. 

A  yellow  chair  was  placed  for  Her  Majesty  in  front 
of  the  dais,  and  she  had  some  of  the  gourds  she  had 
gathered  brought  to  her.  She  selected  one  for  her- 
self, gave  one  to  her  principal  Lady-in-waiting,  Sih- 
Gerga,  and  handed  one  to  the  Chief  Eunuch  Li — the 
Princess  and  the  Chief  Eunuch  both  being  proficient 
in  the  art  of  scraping  them.  A  sharpened  piece  of 

108 


Second  Visit  to  the  Sea  Palace 

bamboo  was  brought  to  Her  Majesty  and  she  began 
to  work  on  the  gourd  she  had  taken,  scraping  off  the 
outer  skin.  She  told  me  to  stand  near  and  watch 
her  scrape  it,  as  it  was  a  very  difficult  thing  to  do 
well !  She  certainly  did  it  well,  and  it  was  most  in- 
teresting to  watch  her  beautiful  little  hands,  as  they 
gracefully  moved  the  piece  of  bamboo  back  and  forth, 
quickly  removing  the  outer  skin,  in  the  most  approved 
way.  Though  apparently  thoroughly  interested  in 
scraping  her  gourd,  she  asked  me  how  I  had  enjoyed 
my  promenade  of  the  day  before,  and  what  I  thought 
of  the  Sea  Palace.  She  called  my  attention  to  the 
inscriptions  on  the  tablets  behind  the  Throne,  saying 
they  were  in  Manchu  and  Chinese  characters,  point- 
ing out  their  difference  of  form  and  also  speaking  of 
the  differences  in  the  two  languages.  She  said  she 
thought  Manchu  would  be  easier  for  a  foreigner  to 
learn  than  Chinese,  as  Manchu  has  an  alphabet  and 
is  constructed  more  on  the  lines  of  a  European 
language.  Presently  Her  Majesty  turned  to  speak 
to  some  one  else,  and  I  immediately  withdrew,  as  is 
the  custom  at  the  Palace.  We  went  out  and  joined 
the  Empress  and  Princesses,  who  had  already  retired 
from  the  Throne-room  and  were  having  tea  and 
cigarettes  reclining  on  the  couches  in  one  of  the 
rooms  in  the  rear.  After  an  hour's  rest  in  the  Mon- 
golian Hall,  the  rain  having  ceased,  we  continued  our 
promenade  through  the  grounds  much  more  pleas- 
antly than  we  had  begun  it,  and  Her  Majesty  took 
me  for  a  walk  in  the  Gardens  of  the  Sea  Palace,  as 
she  had  promised. 
After  dinner,  we  were  rowed  over  the  lake  to  the  Gates. 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Just  beyond  them  a  company  of  archers  was  practis- 
ing with  their  bows  and  arrows ;  for  archery  is  still 
in  vogue  in  China,  and  fine  marksmanship  among  the 
archers  is  rewarded  by  substantial  advancement  in 
the  army.  Archery  is  also  practised  as  a  sport  by 
the  young  Manchu  nobles.  It  is  said  to  educate  the 
eye  and  materially  develop  the  chest  and  arms.  The 
Chinese  pay  great  attention  to  position  in  archery. 
They  stand  stiffly  erect,  the  chest  thrown  well  for- 
ward, the  head  held  high,  the  bow  and  arrow  at 
rigidly  prescribed  angles ;  and  if  this  position  be  not 
observed,  however  true  the  flight  of  the  arrow,  it  goes 
for  naught.  From  the  shelter  of  my  chair,  I  watched 
the  company's  practice  until  I  heard  the  "Sunset 
call "  resounding  through  the  Palace  grounds ;  echoed 
and  reechoed  until  it  reached  the  outer  gates,  which 
began  to  move  upon  their  huge  hinges  until  they 
clanged  together  for  the  night. 

1  My  Chinese  name. 


I  IO 


CHAPTER  XII 

RETURN  TO  THE  SUMMER  PALACE 

THE  next  day  the  Court  returned  to  the  Summer 
Palace.  The  festivities  and  sacrifices  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Emperor's  Birthday  being  now  over  and 
the  Court  settled  down  to  its  usual  routine,  I  hoped 
I  might  be  allowed  to  go  regularly  to  work  on  the  por- 
trait, and  that  Her  Majesty  would  allow  me  to  paint 
when  she  was  not  posing.  There  was  much  I  could  do 
between  times,  and  she  could  pose  but  for  a  short  time 
each  day.  Up  to  that  time,  Her  Majesty  had  treated 
me  as  a  guest  at  Court,  whose  amusement  was  the  most 
important  thing  to  be  looked  after.  She  seemed 
much  interested  in  the  work,  but  my  painting  was  an 
incident  and  even  the  "Sacred  Picture  "  a  secondary 
consideration.  All  these  walks,  these  delightful  excur- 
sions, were  perfectly  charming,  and,  had  I  gone  to  the 
Palace  to  enjoy  myself,  or  to  study  Her  Majesty  and 
Chinese  manners  and  customs,  I  would  have  been  per- 
fectly satisfied.  I  had,  in  the  Empress  Dowager,  a 
psychological  study  full  of  ever-varying  and  constant 
interest.  I  was  living  through  a  unique  experience, 
seeing  what  I  could  never  hope  to  see  again,  but  I 
was  not  allowed  to  paint  on  the  portrait  as  much  as 
I  should  have  liked.  Could  I  but  have  had  permis- 

III 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

sion  to  work  more,  I  should  have  been  very  happy. 
Had  I  been  able  to  speak  Chinese  well  enough,  I 
felt  I  would  obtain  what  I  desired ;  she  had  shown 
herself  so  uniformly  kind.  She  probably  felt  I  was 
enjoying  myself  more  in  this  way  than  working  at 
my  painting. 

While  I  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  promenades  with 
Her  Majesty,  I  loved  the  daily  sittings.  Every  por- 
trait-painter knows  the  sort  of  intimacy  that  estab- 
lishes itself  between  him  and  his  sitter,  however 
unsympathetic  the  latter  may  be  at  first  sight,  which 
was  certainly  not  the  case  in  this  instance.  The  effort 
of  the  painter  to  get  under  the  exterior  and  discover 
the  real  person  of  his  sitter;  the  desire  to  see  the 
best  side  and  make  the  most  of  it,  meets  generally 
with  a  sympathetic  response.  If  the  "  rapport "  is 
properly  established,  they  get  to  know  each  other 
better  by  the  time  the  portrait  is  finished  than  they 
could  otherwise  have  done,  perhaps  in  years.  Though 
I  saw  Her  Majesty  so  intimately  at  other  times,  I  felt 
I  was  not  seeing  her  "  face  to  face "  (figuratively 
speaking),  except  at  the  sittings. 

The  morning  after  our  return  to  the  Summer 
Palace,  my  easel  was  again  placed  in  the  Throne- 
room.  The  portrait  was  taken  down  from  its  resting- 
place  and  work  resumed.  Her  Majesty  gave  me  a  long 
sitting,  and  the  portrait  made  a  step  ahead.  If  I  had 
only  had  a  place  to  work  alone,  where  I  might  study 
the  picture,  when  she  was  not  posing,  I  could  have 
made  so  many  improvements !  But  I  was  obliged 
to  possess  my  soul  in  patience,  and  work  along  for  the 
short  space  of  an  hour  or  so  a  day  and  stop  the  mo- 

112 


Return  to  the  Summer  Palace 

merit  Her  Majesty  felt  fatigued,  when  my  brushes 
and  palette  were  whisked  away,  as  if  by  magic.  There 
was  no  chance  to  study  the  portrait  or  to  do  anything, 
except  when  the  Empress  Dowager  and  the  crowd  of 
attendants  were  present. 

I  had  taken  to  the  Palace  only  a  small  folding 
easel,  which  was  not  at  all  suitable  for  regular  work 
on  so  large  a  portrait,  but  it  was  impossible  to  get  a 
better  one  in  Peking.  Her  Majesty,  who  observed 
everything,  noticed  that  it  was  not  convenient,  and 
suggested  that  I  draw  a  design  for  a  large  easel  and 
give  it  to  the  Palace  carpenters  to  copy.  She  thought 
they  would  be  able  to  make  me  one.  I  did  so,  and 
they  made  me  a  very  satisfactory  working  easel. 
When  the  eunuchs  found  that  this  Palace  easel  suited 
me,  five  others  of  different  sizes  were  made.  I  asked 
for  what  reason,  and  was  told  that  everything  for  Her 
Majesty  was  made  in  sixes.  It  would  have  been 
establishing  a  precedent,  making  an  innovation,  to 
have  fewer  than  six  easels  for  her  portrait. 

Her  Majesty  also  ordered  some  large  flat  boxes, 
with  lock  and  key,  to  be  made  for  my  materials. 
These  boxes  were  covered  in  yellow,  for  they  were  to 
be  used  for  the  Sacred  Picture,  and  must  be  in  the 
Imperial  color.  I  forgot  to  say  the  six  easels  had  all 
been  stained  a  bright  yellow !  A  table,  surmounted 
by  one  of  these  yellow  boxes,  occupied  a  prominent 
place  in  the  Throne-room  during  the  whole  time  this 
portrait  was  being  painted.  When  I  finished  painting 
each  day,  the  Chief  Eunuch,  himself,  removed  the  pic- 
ture from  the  easel,  and  a  number  of  others  came  and 
took  my  brushes  and  palette,  put  away  the  easel  and 

"3 

* 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

closed  the  yellow  box  and  locked  it.    Our  head  eunuch 
carried  the  key  to  the  box. 

When  the  afternoon  sitting  was  finished,  we  went 
out  for  another  of  those  delightful  promenades  around 
the  grounds.  The  days  were  now  growing  visibly 
shorter,  and  the  evenings  were  beginning  to  be  cool. 
As  we  went  through  the  gardens,  Her  Majesty  stopped 
at  all  her  favorite  points  and  looked  for  a  few  mo- 
ments at  the  view,  as  if  to  greet  it  again,  after  her  ab- 
sence. She  loved  the  Summer  Palace  and  it  always 
seemed  a  pleasure  to  her  to  return  to  it.  We  had  tea  in 
one  of  the  tea-houses  where  there  were  tables  and  seats. 
She  ordered  the  eunuchs  to  make  a  sort  of  blanc- 
mange of  lotus-root  flour,  which  was  delicious,  and, 
as  she  said,  most  wholesome.  When  the  Empress 
Dowager  goes  for  a  walk,  portable  stoves  and  all  the 
paraphernalia  necessary  for  cooking  a  light  repast  are 
taken  along.  It  seemed  wonderful  to  me  to  see  the 
way  the  Chinese  could  cook,  with  apparently  so  few 
conveniences.  After  this  we  had  tea.  The  finest  tea 
in  China  is  sent  to  the  Palace.  The  first  leaves  of  the 
plantations  all  over  the  Great  Empire  are  reserved 
for  Their  Majesties.  Her  Majesty,  who  is  a  great  epi- 
cure, has  her  choice  of  these  chosen  leaves.  She  adds 
to  the  delicacy  of  its  already  fine  flavor  by  putting  into 
her  tea-cup  the  blooms  of  dried  honeysuckle,  the 
flowers  of  jasmine,  or  other  fragrant  blooms.  The 
honey  from  these  flowers  slightly  sweetens  the  tea,  be- 
sides giving  it  a  delicate,  subtle  flavor,  quite  unique. 
These  dried  blooms  are  brought  in  a  jade  bowl,  with 
two  long  cherry  sticks,  with  which  Her  Majesty  takes 
the  flowers  and  places  them  in  her  cup,  stirring  them 

114 


Return  to  the  Summer  Palace 

into  the  tea  with  these  graceful  wands.  The  Chinese 
never  use  a  teaspoon.  Her  Majesty  drinks  her  tea 
from  a  jade  cup,  which  is  placed  in  a  curiously  fash- 
ioned, cunningly  wrought,  open-work,  silver  saucer. 
The  Chinese  take  their  tea  boiling  hot,  and  the  jade 
does  not  get  so  hot  as  a  porcelain  cup. 

We  continued  our  walk  through  the  gardens  after 
leaving  the  tea-house,  and  when  we  were  passing  a 
bed  of  flowers  Her  Majesty  spied  some  curious  grass, 
which  she  ordered  the  eunuchs  to  gather.  When 
it  was  brought  to  her  she  deftly  wove  several  blades 
of  it  into  a  perfectly  recognizable  representation  of  a 
rabbit.  She  did  it  so  quickly  I  did  not  realize  she  was 
trying  to  make  anything  until  she  tossed  the  finished 
result  over  to  me  and  asked  me  what  I  thought  it  was. 
It  was  unmistakable. 

When  we  reached  our  objective  point,  one  of  the  high- 
est eminences  in  the  grounds,  with  the  whole  panorama 
of  the  Western  Hills  spread  out  beneath  us,  and  the  set- 
ting sun  glowing  over  all  in  brilliant  splendor,  it  was 
a  glorious  scene.  She  called  me  up  to  her  side  and 
made  a  graceful,  sweeping  gesture  of  the  hand  that 
said,  "  This  is  all  mine,  but  you  may  share  it  with  me." 
She  had  that  sense  of  possession  of  nature's  beauties 
which  all  artistic  souls  feel,  for  their  appreciation  makes 
what  they  view  their  own.  She  felt  it  was  hers,  because 
she  loved  it  so,  and  she  knew  I  would  appreciate  it,  which 
few  of  her  "entourage  "  did,  as  none  of  them  were  such 
passionate  lovers  of  nature  as  the  Empress  Dowager, 
and  custom  had  dulled  their  perception  of  the  beauty 
of  the  scene.  The  exquisite  pleasure  the  contempla- 
tion of  this  glorious  view  gave  me,  made  me  tremble 

"5 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

with  delight.  As  the  day  was  fading  and  as  I  was  thinly 
clad,  Her  Majesty  thought  I  was  cold,  and,  seeing  I  had 
no  wrap,  she  called  to  the  Chief  Eunuch  to  bring  me 
one  of  hers.  He  selected  one  from  the  number  that 
were  always  brought  along  for  these  promenades,  and 
gave  it  to  Her  Majesty,  who  threw  it  over  my  shoulders. 
She  asked  me  to  keep  it  and  to  try  to  remember  to  take 
better  care  of  myself  in  the  future. 


116 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  STEAM-LAUNCH— SEMI-ANNUAL  SACRIFICES  TO 
CONFUCIUS 

WE  began  now  to  go  out  on  the  lake  in  the 
steam-launches,  instead  of  the  picturesque 
Imperial  barge.  The  Empress  Dowager  is  artistic 
and  conservative  enough  to  like  the  old-fashioned 
barge;  but  she  is  also  intelligent  enough  to  appre- 
ciate the  advantages  of  other  modes  of  locomotion, 
and  has  no  prejudices ;  in  fact,  she  rather  likes  trying 
new  things.  When  the  days  were  long,  the  air  soft, 
and  the  bosom  of  the  lake  engirdled  with  its  chain  of 
blooming  lotus,  she  preferred  the  barge ;  but  when 
the  shorter  and  cooler  days  came,  when  the  lotus  were 
no  longer  in  bloom,  she  ordered  the  steam-launch  for 
our  promenades.  She  seemed  now  to  like  its  swift 
and  noisy  progress  as  much  as  she  had  before  en- 
joyed the  softly  gliding  motion  of  the  barge.  Her 
Throne  on  the  launch  was  on  the  prow,  just  outside 
and  above  the  cabin,  where  the  Princesses  and  Ladies 
sat.  Her  Majesty  always  wanted  the  fresh  air  and  the 
view,  and  never  went  inside.  The  young  Empress 
and  the  Ladies  sat  within  the  luxuriously  fitted-up 
cabin  with  its  lounges  and  tables. 
The  first  day  we  went  out  in  the  launch  the  en- 

117 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

gineer  seemed  not  to  have  it  quite  under  control,  and 
we  soon  ran  aground  in  a  field  of  water-plants  near 
the  island.  There  was  great  consternation  among  the 
eunuchs  when  it  was  found  the  launch  could  not  ad- 
vance, even  by  putting  on  full  steam.  The  engineer 
didn't  seem  to  know  what  to  do.  Her  Majesty  ordered 
the  engines  reversed,  and  this  was  tried,  but  it  was 
some  time  before  the  launch  moved.  The  Princesses 
and  eunuchs  became  quite  excited,  but  Her  Majesty 
was  perfectly  unconcerned,  and  laughed  at  their 
fears  for  her  safety.  She  said  it  would  be  no  great 
matter  for  her  to  walk  over  to  the  island.  It 
would  only  mean  one  pair  of  shoes  the  less !  When 
the  launch  finally  moved,  the  Chief  Eunuch,  not 
wishing  to  run  the  risk  of  another  mishap,  wanted, 
to  give  word  to  the  engineer  to  return;  but  Her 
Majesty  would  not  hear  of  this,  and  insisted  upon 
completing  the  excursion  as  she  had  at  first  planned 
it.  We  had  several  other  mishaps,  and  the  launch 
finally  ran  aground;  and  no  effort  of  the  engineers, 
no  putting  on  of  extra  steam,  was  able  to  get  us  off 
again.  Her  Majesty  kept  her  good  humor,  ordered 
her  barge  brought  alongside,  and  we  were  all  "  trans- 
shipped." We  finished  our  tour  on  the  lake  as  she 
had  planned  it,  but  in  the  barge  instead  of  the  launch. 
She  is  too  intelligent  not  to  use  any  means  at  hand 
to  attain  her  ends,  and  she  is  intelligent  enough  to 
see  that  these  ends  can  be  attained,  by  some  means  or 
other,  before  she  fixes  upon  them. 

The  Emperor  of  China,  with  the  usual  Chinese 
tolerance,— and  the  Chinese  are  the  most  tolerant 
people  in  the  world  as  to  religious  faith,— is  not  only 

118 


The  Steam-Launch 

the  head  of  one  church,  but  of  all  the  churches  in 
China.  He  is,  as  Emperor,  the  Great  High  Priest  of 
Heaven,  the  High  Priest  of  Buddhism  and  Taoism, 
and  is,  of  course,  a  Confucian ;  though  this  is  a  philos- 
ophy rather  than  a  religion.  But  though  a  philosophy, 
there  are  certain  rites  and  ceremonies  observed  by 
the  Confucians.  All  the  great  ceremonies  of  the  dif- 
ferent cults  are  celebrated  in  the  Palace  temples  with 
rigid  impartiality  and  equal  pomp.  Whatever  may 
be  the  individual  leanings  of  the  Emperor,  and,  of 
course,  he  must  have  his  own  preferences,  he  partici- 
pates in  each  of  these  celebrations.  But  his  official, 
public  exercise  of  religion,  is  limited  to  the  worship 
of  Heaven  and  Earth,  to  which  he  makes  annual 
public  sacrifices  in  the  Great  Temple  of  Heaven  at 
Peking. 

The  afternoon  of  our  first  steam-launch  excursion, 
finished  in  Her  Majesty's  barge,  there  was  a  splendid 
ceremony  in  the  chapel  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  crowned 
with  the  Temple  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Buddhas,  to  the 
memory  of  Confucius,  the  great  Sage,  whose  philosophy 
has  directed  the  lives  and  laws  of  the  Chinese  people 
for  nearly  twenty-five  hundred  years.  Though  a 
philosopher  like  Plato,  he  is  appreciated  and  his  teach- 
ings followed  by  the  masses,  as  well  as  the  classes,  in 
China.  He  is  not  a  religious  leader  but  an  ethical 
teacher,  and  though  many  temples  have  been  erected 
to  his  memory,  they  are  like  Halls  of  Science  and  not 
temples  to  a  divinity.  There  are  no  images  either  of 
Confucius  or  the  Sages  in  these  temples.  They  are 
classic  halls,  bare  of  all  church-like  ornamentation. 
Quotations  from  the  "  analects,"  painted  on  scrolls, 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

cut  into  wood,  and  carved  out  of  stone,  adorn  the 
walls,  not  only  of  the  interiors  of  the  temples,  but  of 
the  courts  and  verandahs  of  the  buildings.  At  the 
place  where  the  altar  would  be  in  a  temple,  there  is  a 
plain  niche,  painted  in  red  with  a  tablet  bearing  an 
inscription  in  gold,  "  The  Seat  of  the  Perfect  One." 
On  either  side  are  similar  niches,  containing  the  tab- 
lets of  four  other  great  Sages,  among  whom  was 
Mencius.  These  semi-annual  sacrifices  are  in  com- 
memoration of  Confucius  as  an  ethical  teacher,  a  wise 
philosopher,  a  Sage.  At  this  service  in  the  Palace,  the 
participants  and  celebrants  were  all  in  full  Court  dress. 
There  was  an  address  to  the  memory  of  the  great 
Sage,  with  music  and  hymns ;  the  latter  were  rhyth- 
mic verses,  containing  some  truth  inculcated  by  the 
Sage.  There  was  an  altar  with  a  dragon  table  in 
front  for  offerings.  There  were  sacrifices,  incense, 
and  music.  The  altar  was  rich  with  splendid  vases, 
rare  old  bronze  bowls,  and  incense-burners,  and  sweet 
with  flowers  and  fruit.  On  the  dragon  table,  which 
stood  in  front,  were  offerings  of  millet,  meat,  and 
wine.  Tall  cressets  of  open  iron-work  containing 
huge,  burning  pine-knots  were  placed  in  front  of  the 
raised  platform,  on  which  stood  the  altar,  which  was 
beautifully  illuminated  with  tall  candles  in  square, 
silver  candelabra.  The  court  in  front  of  this  temple, 
as  well  as  the  surrounding  buildings,  were  hung  with 
charming  painted  lanterns. 

Their  Majesties,  with  the  Empress  and  Ladies,  pre- 
ceded and  surrounded  by  eunuchs  and  officials,  in  full 
Court  dress,  went  in  ceremonious  procession  through 
the  verandahed  corridors,  from  Her  Majesty's  Throne- 

I2O 


Semi-Annual  Sacrifices  to  Confucius 

room  to  the  temple.  Their  approach  was  accompanied 
by  the  slow  beating  of  drums.  When  they  reached 
the  temple,  three  yellow  cushions  were  placed  on  the 
paved  floor  for  Their  Majesties  and  the  Empress,  and 
red  cushions  for  the  Ladies.  The  music  was  played 
in  rhythmic  strains,  while  Their  Majesties  knelt  and 
prostrated  themselves  three  times ;  the  Empress  and 
Ladies  doing  likewise.  The  officials  and  other 
participants  knelt  outside  in  the  court.  When  the 
prostrations  were  finished,  a  yellow  chair  was  brought 
for  the  Empress  Dowager.  She  sat  during  the  rest 
of  the  service,  but  the  Emperor,  the  Empress,  and 
Ladies  remained  standing  during  the  whole  celebra- 
tion. This  consisted  of  a  number  of  genuflexions  and 
prostrations  by  the  celebrants,  and  a  moving  about  of 
the  offerings  on  the  dragon  table  in  a  ceremonious 
and  reverent  manner.  The  chief  officiant  read  the 
address  from  a  long  scroll.  After  finishing  it,  he 
placed  it  on  a  casket  on  the  altar.  The  first  part  of 
the  ceremony  took  place  inside  the  temple,  then  the 
celebrants  went  out  into  the  court  and  intoned  the 
six  hymns  and  made  renewed  prostrations.  I  was  not 
able  to  understand  enough  of  the  hymns,  or  to  get 
them  sufficiently  translated  to  make  out  their  mean- 
ing. They  were  all  of  uniform  length.  They  were  in 
praise  of  Confucius  and  were  called  "  Odes  to  Peace." 
When  all  the  verses  were  intoned,  the  scroll  with  the 
address,  some  of  each  of  the  offerings,  were  placed  in 
the  huge  iron  incense-burner,  that  stood  in  the  center 
of  the  outer  court,  and  set  on  fire  by  the  chief  cele- 
brant, while  one  of  the  several  flagons  of  wine  that  had 
made  part  of  the  offerings  was  poured  over  the  blaze. 

121 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

I  had  not  expected  to  enter  the  temple  with  Their 
Majesties  and  the  Ladies,  but  when  we  reached  the 
door,  the  Empress  drew  me  in  with  her.  They  seemed 
to  realize  that  I  enjoyed  seeing  these  celebrations  and 
to  perfectly  understand  my  not  taking  any  active 
part  in  them.  I  always  remained  standing,  but  I 
listened  reverently  to  the  intoning  of  the  hymns  and 
the  reading  of  the  address.  I  conducted  myself  as  I 
would  at  any  religious  ceremony,  and  they  seemed  to 
appreciate  it. 

When  all  was  finished,  Her  Majesty  told  me  to  go 
up  to  the  altar  and  examine  the  rare,  old,  bronze  or- 
naments, the  candelabra,  etc.  They  explained  to  me 
that  the  address,  which  had  been  read,  was  burned,  as 
it  had  filled  its  mission  when  it  was  read ;  that  the 
ashes  of  a  literary  essay  were  a  most  fitting  offering 
to  the  memory  of  Confucius,  the  great  philosopher. 
When  all  was  over,  Their  Majesties  ordered  the  boats 
to  come  to  the  foot  of  the  terrace,  where  the  last  part 
of  the  celebration  had  been  made,  and  we  returned  to 
the  Palace  by  way  of  the  lake. 


122 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  PALACE  EUNUCHS 

rilHE  internal  affairs  of  the  Palace  are  managed  by 
JL  eunuchs,  among  whom  there  are  all  grades,  all 
sorts  and  conditions.  Some  are  clever  literati  given 
to  study ;  some  have  the  polished,  insinuating  man- 
ners of  the  courtier;  some  have  a  Mandarin  rank 
of  high  degree;  some  are  menials.  There  are 
actors  and  singers,  cooks  and  gardeners,  teachers 
and  pupils,  writers  and  readers.  They  occupy  all 
sorts  of  positions,  from  Their  Majesties'  body-guard 
to  gate-keepers.  In  this  hierarchy,  Their  Majesties' 
Chief  Eunuchs  held  the  first  place.  Under  each 
of  these  there  are  six  eunuchs  of  high  rank,  all 
exceptionally  clever,  who  have  raised  themselves  to 
the  positions  they  occupy  in  the  Palace  by  their 
own  efforts  or  by  some  special  qualification. 

Each  of  the  hundreds  of  pavilions  and  palaces  in 
the  Inclosures  has  a  corps  of  eunuchs,  presided  over 
by  a  head  eunuch.  These  act  as  guards  to  the  prem- 
ises, as  well  as  servants,  and  keep  things  in  readiness 
for  a  visit  from  Their  Majesties.  There  is  a  head 
eunuch  who  directs  the  large  corps  of  Palace  garden- 
ers ;  another  who  presides  over  the  dozens  of  cooks 
in  the  Imperial  kitchen ;  one  is  at  the  head  of  each  of 

123 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  departments,  and  each  of  these  head  eunuchs, 
chiefs  of  the  different  departments,  is  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Chief  Eunuch,  for  Her  Majesty's 
Chief  Eunuch  may  be  called  the  real  Chief  Eunuch 
of  the  Palace.  He  is  not  only  older  than  the  Em- 
peror's Chief  Eunuch,  but  is  more  capable.  The  two 
Chief  Eunuchs,  from  their  position  near  the  sacred 
persons  of  Their  Majesties,  have  unusual  power. 
They  may  make  or  mar  the  career  of  the  eunuchs 
beneath  them;  and  they  not  only  have  this  power 
inside  the  Palace,  but  from  their  exceptionally  fine 
opportunities  to  present  petitions,  to  speak  for  or 
against  certain  people,  they  also  have  a  great  deal  of 
power  with  people  outside  the  Palace.  Her  Majesty's 
Chief  Eunuch  has  almost  the  power  in  Peking,  among 
officials  and  courtiers,  that  "Son  Eminence  Grise" 
had  at  the  Court  of  Louis  XIII  of  France.  He  is 
courted  and  fawned  upon,  receives  magnificent 
presents,  and  nobles  of  high  degree  wait  upon  his 
pleasure;  but  while  he  occupies  this  high  position 
with  outsiders,  in  the  Palace  I  saw  no  evidence  of  his 
having  any  unusual  power  with  Her  Majesty,  beyond 
that  of  one  who  has  been  in  the  life-long  service  of 
his  master  and  who  has  the  privileges  resulting  there- 
from. 

The  peculiar  position  of  a  Chinese  Emperor,  which 
shuts  him  in  his  Palace  like  a  Buddha  in  a  temple, 
makes  some  sort  of  confidential  private  messenger  an 
absolute  necessity.  There  is  much  business  of  an 
unofficial  kind,  which  must  be  transacted  in  a  private 
way.  The  Chief  Eunuchs  are  naturally  called  upon  in 
such  cases.  When  the  Ruler  of  the  Celestial  Empire 

124 


The  Palace  Eunuchs 

is  a  woman,  the  Palace  becomes  more  of  a  gilded 
prison,  a  shut-iu  shrine,  than  even  in  the  case  of  an 
Emperor.  She  cannot  see  officials,  or  even  members 
of  the  Imperial  clan,  except  in  the  Audience  Halls. 
Thus  a  Chief  Eunuch  under  an  Empress  would  have 
even  greater  power  than  under  an  Emperor ;  and  in 
this  instance,  Her  Majesty's  Chief  Eunuch,  Li  Lien 
Ying,  is  really  of  exceptional  ability ! 

In  person  he  is  tall  and  thin.  His  head  is,  in  type, 
like  Savonarola's.  He  has  a  Roman  nose,  a  massive 
lean  jaw,  a  protruding  lower  lip,  and  very  shrewd  eyes, 
full  of  intelligence,  that  shine  out  of  sunken  orbits. 
His  face  is  much  wrinkled  and  his  skin  like  old 
parchment.  Though  only  sixty  years  old,  he  looks 
seventy-five,  and  is  the  oldest  eunuch  in  the  Palace. 
He  has  been  there  since  the  age  of  ten.  He  has  ele- 
gant, insinuating  manners,  speaks  excellent  Chinese — 
having  a  fine  enunciation,  a  good  choice  of  words, 
and  a  low,  pleasant  voice.  If  one  may  judge  from 
appearances,  he  possesses  ability  in  a  marked  degree. 
Of  His  Majesty's  Chief  Eunuch  I  can  say  nothing.  I 
only  saw  him  on  the  days  of  the  Theater,  or  some 
festival,  when  His  Majesty  passed  the  day  with  the 
Empress  Dowager  and  the  Ladies,  when  he  was 
always  accompanied  by  his  suite. 

Her  Majesty's  second  eunuch,  Sui,  who  is  of  equal 
rank  with  Li  Lien  Ying,  is  as  unlike  him  as  two 
people  could  possibly  be,  both  as  to  person,  character, 
mental  and  moral  nature.  This  one  has  none  of  the 
qualities  of  the  intriguer— no  Macchiavellian  schemes 
would  be  forwarded  by  him.  He  is  almost  a  giant  in 
size,  tall  and  heavy.  He  is  forty-six  years  old,  and 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

has  a  round,  full  face,  without  a  line— a  typical 
Chinese  face,  as  we  know  it  from  pictures,  benevolent 
and  kind.  He,  also,  is  a  good  Chinese  scholar,  and, 
of  course,  speaks  it  elegantly.  Her  Majesty  will  have 
no  one  around  her  person  who  does  not  speak  it  well. 
If  it  be  true  that  Her  Majesty,  in  choosing  her  minis- 
ters, tries  to  have  them  the  opposites  of  each  other,  so 
that  she  may  thus  hear  the  different  sides  of  a  ques- 
tion and  arrive  at  more  just  conclusions,  her  two 
Chief  Eunuchs  seem  to  have  been  chosen  in  the  same 
way. 

There  is  a  eunuch  appointed  to  administer  the 
punishment,  ordered  by  Their  Majesties  for  the 
eunuchs  around  their  persons.  For  the  higher 
eunuchs,  this  is  generally  the  deprivation  of  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  their  annual  wages,  or  the  loss  of 
their  buttons,  for  the  buttons  on  the  hats  of  Chinese 
denote  their  rank,  and  to  be  deprived  of  a  button,  or 
to  have  one  of  lower  rank  given,  is  considered  a 
disgrace.  I  once  saw  Her  Majesty  very  angry  over 
the  failure  to  carry  out  one  of  her  orders,  by  two  of  the 
high  eunuchs,  and  she  ordered  them  to  be  deprived  of 
two  months'  pay.  The  head  eunuchs  of  the  different 
departments  administer  whatever  punishment  they 
see  fit,  to  those  over  whom  they  are  placed.  This  pun- 
ishment is  generally  corporal.  Sometimes  they  abuse 
their  authority  and  are  very  cruel  in  administering 
this,  but,  as  a  rule,  the  eunuchs  seem  to  be  of  a  mild 
and  peace-loving  nature,  rather  than  cruel  and  vin- 
dictive—inclined to  condone  the  faults  of  their  inferi- 
ors rather  than  punish  them  to  the  full  extent  of  their 
authority.  There  seemed  to  be  a  feeling  of  "esprit 

I  26 


The  Palace  Eunuchs 

de  corps  "  among  them— a  spirit  of  mutual  helpful- 
ness. 

Each  of  the  higher  eunuchs  has  a  number  of  pupils 
among  the  lower  grades,  who  call  him  "Master," 
and  whom  he  trains  in  manners  and  teaches  his  own 
specialties.  The  higher  eunuchs  seemed  to  take  the 
liveliest  interest  in  the  good  conduct,  and  literary,  or 
other,  advancement  of  these  pupils,  and  they  push 
their  interests  with  Their  Majesties  in  every  way 
possible— each  one,  of  course,  trying  to  advance  his 
pupils  beyond  those  of  some  other  eunuch. 

Her  Majesty  has  a  great  horror  of  opium  smoking. 
If  a  eunuch,  however  high  his  position,  indulged  in  it, 
the  severest  punishments  she  ever  ordered  were  ad- 
ministered. They  were  not  only  deprived  of  so  many 
months'  pay  and  loss  of  their  buttons,  but  were  some- 
times banished  from  the  Palace  for  a  certain  length 
of  time,  and  even  severe  corporal  punishment  would 
be  ordered.  These  stringent  measures  did  not  pre- 
vent some  of  them,  however,  from  indulging  surrep- 
titiously in  the  narcotic,  but  they  took  the  most  extreme 
precautious  to  prevent  its  being  found  out.  Her 
Majesty  has  unusually  acute  olfactories,  especially 
for  opium.  This,  it  seems,  can  be  detected  by  its 
odor,  which  hangs  around  the  clothes,  and,  like  the 
odor  of  the  rose,  one  "  can  break  the  vase,  it  lingers 
there  still."  But  it  seems  the  eunuchs  have  special 
linen  clothes,  which  they  put  on  for  smoking,  and 
these  are  given  to  be  washed,  immediately  the  fasci- 
nating pipe  is  finished.  Unless  one  is  an  habitual 
smoker,  the  drug  has  very  little  outward  effect  and, 
except  by  the  odor,  it  cannot  be  detected. 

a  27 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

The  eunuchs  are  very  fond  of  all  sorts  of  pets,  and 
have  in  their  quarters  dogs  without  number,  cats  and 
birds.  While  the  younger  eunuchs  generally  depend 
for  their  advancement  upon  their  teachers,  who  report 
favorably  on  them  to  Their  Majesties,  they  sometimes 
attract  the  attention  of  Their  Majesties,  and  may  be 
raised  out  of  their  places  by  Imperial  favor.  Among 
the  eunuchs  assigned  to  my  service  in  the  Palace,  was 
one  who  was  fortunate  enough  to  attract  the  Em- 
peror's notice.  His  Majesty  had  happened  to  notice 
him,  carrying  my  wraps  on  one  of  the  promenades 
with  Her  Majesty.  He  liked  his  face  and  manners 
and  took  him  into  his  own  service.  The  eunuch  had 
a  "  button  "  bestowed  on  him  and  promised  to  mount 
very  fast  in  grade.  This  eunuch  had  been  in  the 
Palace  about  fifteen  years ;  and  had  His  Majesty  not 
happened  to  notice  him,  he  might  have  lived  and 
died  in  oblivion,  and  never  had  a  button,  for  his 
"  master  "  was  dead  and  he  had  no  protector  to  push 
his  interests ! 

When  one  realizes  that  the  Palaces  of  the  Chinese 
Emperor  are  like  towns,  that  their  affairs  are  admin- 
istered principally  by  the  eunuchs,  one  can  see  there 
must  be  a  good  deal  of  intelligence  among  them,  as 
well  as  great  opportunities  to  add  to  their  personal 
wealth. 

I  heard,  before  I  went  into  the  Palace,  of  the  great 
power  and  unscrupulousness  of  the  Chief  Eunuchs; 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  be  very  conciliatory 
toward  them  and  make  them  many  handsome  pres- 
ents. I  did  not  find  it  so.  I  never  made  an  effort  to 
conciliate  any  of  them,  nor  gave  any  handsome  pres- 

128 


The  Palace  Eunuchs 

ents,  and  I  found  them  all  respectful,  and  I  had  every 
consideration  shown  me  by  them,  and  found  them,  on 
the  whole,  pleasant  enough  to  deal  with.  Some  of 
them  were  clever  and  interesting  even,  and  they  all 
had  very  good  manners.  In  fact,  I  cannot  too  highly 
praise  the  manners  of  the  Chinese,  as  a  race.  I  quite 
concur  in  the  opinion  of  a  clever  Frenchman,  who  - 
said  of  China,  "  Aujourd'hui  c'est  la  ou  les  bonnes 
manieres  se  sont  refugie"es." 


I2Q 


CHAPTER   XV 


WHEN  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager  was 
Empress  of  the  Western  Palace,  Co-Regent 
with  the  Empress  of  the  Eastern  Palace,  who  died  in 
1881,  the  Empress  of  the  Eastern  Palace  was  known 
as  the  "Literary  Empress."  All  State  affairs  were 
left  to  the  stronger  executive  ability  of  the  Empress 
of  the  Western  Palace ;  while  she  of  the  Eastern  Pal- 
ace gave  herself  up  to  literary  pursuits  and  led  the  life 
of  a  student.  She  was  a  woman  of  such  fine  literary 
ability  that  she,  herself,  sometimes  examined  the  es- 
says of  the  aspirants  for  the  highest  literary  honors  in 
the  University  of  Peking.  She  was  also  a  writer  of 
distinction. 

During  the  long  Co-Regency  of  these  two  remarka- 
ble women,  widows  of  the  Emperor  Hsien-Feng,  one 
led  the  life  of  a  student ;  the  other,  the  active,  militant 
life  of  the  ruler.  For  the  present  Empress  Dowager 
has  been  the  real  ruler  of  the  great  Chinese  Empire 
for  the  last  forty-five  years.  Had  the  Empress  of  the 
Eastern  Palace  not  been  such  an  exceptional  light  as  a 
literary  woman  and  had  not  Her  Majesty,  Tze  Hsi, 
possessed  so  many  other  and  more  remarkable  quali- 

130 


The  Literary  Tastes  of  the  Empress 

ties,  the  latter's  name  might  also  go  down  to  history 
as  a  "  literary  Empress,"  for  the  Empress  Dowager 
has  literary  qualities  of  no  mean  kind.  She  writes  a 
graceful  poem,  is  able  to  express  herself  in  elegant 
Chinese,  as  well  as  in  the  ruder,  more  forcible  Man- 
chu  language.  She  can  write  in  literary  style,  fine 
idiomatic  Chinese,  and  this  is  a  rare  accomplishment 
for  a  woman.  The  written  Chinese  Ian  guage  i  s  quite  dif- 
ferent from  that  spoken  by  even  the  most  cultivated. 
Imagery  and  figure  abound  to  such  a  degree,  literary 
form  is  so  important,  that  many  fine  scholars  are  un- 
able to  write  the  language  acceptably,  except  for  prac- 
tical purposes.  Aside  from  Her  Majesty's  literary 
acquirements,  she  has  an  enlightened  taste,  is  a  great 
reader  of  the  classics,  and  a  fine  critic.  She  also  loves 
poems  of  heroic  adventure.  One  of  her  favorite  his- 
torical characters  is  the  Chinese  Jeanne  d'Arc,  the 
warlike  Maiden,  Whar-Mou-Lahn,  who  went  forth  to 
battle  in  masculine  guise,  had  many  heroic  adven- 
tures in  her  twelve  years'  service,  and,  through  them 
all,  remained  a  virgin  pure. 

The  Empress  Dowager  has  a  wonderful  verbal  mem- 
ory. Memory,  so  highly  esteemed  by  the  Chinese,  is  - 
most  carefully  cultivated,  and  is  generally  better 
developed  with  them  than  with  us.  Her  Majesty's 
memory  is,  however,  considered  exceptional,  even 
among  the  Chinese.  She  can  repeat  pages,  not  only 
of  the  classics,  but  of  her  favorite  authors.  One  of 
the  widows  of  her  son  (the  Emperor  Tung-Chih),  who 
came  regularly  every  week  to  pay  her  respects  to  Her 
Majesty,  is  a  very  clever  woman  and  a  great  favorite 
of  her  august  mother-in-law.  This  lady  also  possesses 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

a  remarkable  memory.  On  her  visits  to  the  Palace 
I  used  to  hear  Her  Majesty  and  this  Empress  quoting 
from  some  of  their  favorite  classics  or  poems.  The 
quotations  would  pass  from  one  to  another,  sometimes 
for  a  half -hour  without  stopping,  and,  at  times,  they 
would  repeat  in  concert  some  favorite  phrase.  I  will 
never  forget  how  they  looked :  Her  Majesty  sitting  at 
her  Throne  table  with  her  flowers  or  some  light  occu- 
pation, her  daughter-in-law  standing  beside  her,  each 
of  their  faces  lighted  up  with  pleasure  as  they  re- 
peated line  after  line. 

When  the  Empress  Dowager  went  to  her  own  apart- 
ments for  her  "  siesta,"  her  reader  would  come  bring- 
ing volumes  of  her  favorite  authors.  Some  days  I 
could  hear  his  voice  rising  and  falling  in  regular  ca- 
dence during  the  whole  time  she  was  resting  in  her 
apartments.  When  she  was  particularly  interested  in 
what  had  been  read  to  her  she  would  have  the  book 
taken  out  when  she  went  for  her  daily  promenade  and 
would  sit  and  read  as  she  was  carried  along  in  her  open 
chair,  or  was  rowed  along  on  the  barge.  This  did  not 
often  happen,  however,  for  she  took  such  keen  delight 
in  all  its  manifestations,  she  preferred  to  read  in  Na- 
ture's book  when  out  of  doors. 

She  is  a  great  lover  of  the  theater  and  prefers  the 
classic,  the  old  plays,  to  the  modern  Chinese  drama. 
She  had  one  new  play  staged,  while  I  was  in  the  Pal- 
ace, with  which  she  seemed  to  be  much  pleased.  She 
studied  the  play  for  several  days  before  it  was  given 
for  the  first  time,  and,  at  the  first  representation,  she 
followed  every  line  with  intense  interest.  She  sent 
her  eunuchs  several  times  to  the  stage  to  suggest 

132 


The  Literary  Tastes  of  the  Empress 

changes  in  the  rendering  of  certain  parts  and  in  the 
interpretation  of  certain  lines.  The  Theater  generally 
begins  with  a  short  play,  which  is  often  a  light  farce. 
She  seemed  sometimes  to  enjoy  these  very  much  and 
would  laugh  heartily  at  the  good  hits,  which  were 
often  original  additions  by  the  actors,  allusions  to 
some  passing  event.  Contrary  to  my  preconceived 
idea  as  to  the  Chinese,  they  are  witty  and  appreciate 
humor  in  others.  The  Empress  Dowager  has  a  fine 
sense  of  humor.  She  not  only  sees  the  point  of  a  joke, 
but  she  can  turn  one  very  cleverly  herself. 

She  is  very  particular  about  the  way  Chinese  is 
spoken,  a  great  stickler  for  purity  of  expression  and 
elegance  of  style.  There  are  as  many  dialects  in 
China  as  there  are  Provinces  in  the  Great  Empire ; 
and  although  the  literati  and  gentry  speak,  what  is 
called  Mandarin  Chinese,  some  of  the  most  highly 
educated  of  the  literati  from  the  Provinces  speak  it 
with  an  accent.  Her  Majesty,  who  has  a  musical  ear 
and  great  discernment  as  to  sounds,  gets  very  impa- 
tient when  listening  to  Chinese  spoken  with  an  accent. 
It  is  said,  other  things  being  not  quite  equal,  she  will 
give  the  preference,  in  an  appointment,  to  an  official 
who  speaks  perfect  Chinese  and  who  has  a  good  voice, 
especially  if  his  office  brings  him  often  into  the 
Presence.  However,  particular  as  she  is,  bad  Chinese 
in  a  man  of  merit  is  not  a  bar  to  advancement,  for 
Li-Hung-Chang,  whom  she  appreciated  so  highly,  and 
to  whom  she  gave  such  preferment,  is  said  to  have 
spoken  very  indifferent  Chinese. 

Whether  it  be,  that  Her  Majesty's  musical  and  ex- 
quisitely modulated  voice,  so  fresh  and  silvery,  so 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

youthful,  adds  to  the  charm  of  her  Chinese,  when  she 
speaks  it,  it  sounds  like  beautiful  rhythmic  poetry. 
She  speaks  it  so  graphically,  with  such  expression  and 
graceful  gestures,  that  it  charms  one  even  who  does 
not  understand  the  language. 

One  day  when  she  was  out  for  a  walk,  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  gardeners  was  brought  up  to  explain 
something  to  her,  some  change  in  the  laying  out  of 
new  flower  beds.  She  listened  a  few  moments,  but  I 
saw  her  frown  and  begin  to  look  impatient.  After  a 
few  more  words  from  the  poor  man,  who  was  evi- 
dently overcome  by  timidity  and  probably  speaking 
worse  Chinese  than  usual,  Her  Majesty  turned  to  the 
Chief  Eunuch  and  said,  "  Let  him  tell  you  and  you 
can  translate  to  me ;  I  can't  stand  any  more  of  that 
language,"  and  she  walked  away,  still  frowning. 

Another  day,  I  heard  the  Empress  Dowager  tell  one 
of  the  Ladies  at  Court  (her  daughter-in-law),  who  was 
also  a  great  purist  in  the  matter  of  language,  about 
her  own  Chinese  having  been  misunderstood  by  one 
of  the  eunuchs.  There  are  many  Chinese  words  al- 
most exactly  alike  in  sound,  which  are  only  differ- 
entiated by  the  inflection  or  tone.  Thus  there  must  be 
great  accuracy  of  enunciation,  and  there  must  also  be 
great  accuracy  of  ear.  Her  Majesty  had  given  an 
order  to  one  of  the  eunuchs.  The  stupid  fellow  had 
misunderstood  the  inflection  and  had  done  the  exact 
opposite.  She  was  so  amused  and  astonished,  when 
she  found  that  her  tone  had  been  misunderstood,  that 
she  did  not  reprove  him  for  his  stupidity. 

One  day,  she  corrected  one  of  the  Princesses  for  the 
pronunciation  of  a  word,  and  she  said  (in  an  aside) 


Literary  Tastes  of  the  Empress 

it  was  not  strange  this  Princess  did  not  speak  better, 
for  her  father's  Chinese  was  "  execrable,"  thus  show- 
ing that  even  Princes  do  not  always  speak  the  lan- 
guage correctly. 

One  of  the  most  precious  gifts  the  Empress  Dowager 
makes,  and  which  is  sacredly  treasured  by  its  recipi- 
ents, is  a  scroll  with  a  single  great  character  written 
upon  it  by  Her  Majesty's  own  hand.  This  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  most  difficult  feats  of  a  Chinese  writer. 
These  characters  are  sometimes  four  feet  long.  One 
day  we  were  invited  to  go  into  the  Throne-room  to  see 
Her  Majesty  make  some  of  these  characters.  When  I 
went  into  the  Great  Hall,  Her  Majesty  and  the  Ladies 
were  already  there.  She  was  stirring  a  great  bowl  of 
India  ink,  for  she  is  very  particular  as  to  its  consist- 
ency and  fluidity.  When  the  ink  suited  her,  she  took 
from  a  eunuch  standing  near,  who  held  a  number,  a 
huge  short-handled  brush,  which  she  could  hardly  clasp 
in  her  small  hand.  She  tried  two  or  three,  before  she 
found  one  that  pleased  her,  and,  turning  to  me,  said, 
"  You  see  I  also  have  my  choice  in  brushes."  I  asked 
Lady  Yu-Keng  to  tell  her  that  I  thought  her  large 
brushes  were  more  suitable  for  my  hands  and  that 
my  smaller  ones  would  have  been  more  appropriate 
for  her.  She  laughingly  replied  she  preferred  the 
Chinese  brush,  and  that  her  hands,  small  as  they 
were,  were  able  to  wield  it  very  satisfactorily,  which 
was  no  vain  boast. 

When  all  was  ready,  and  the  huge  scroll  spread  out 
before  her  on  a  table,  she  dipped  her  brush  into  the 
bowl  of  ink,  held  by  the  eunuch,  and  began  the  first 
stroke  of  one  of  these  famous  characters,  in  which 

135 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

she  is  said  to  equal  the  most  proficient  writers  in 
China.  I  was  amazed  to  see  the  firmness  of  her  wrist 
and  the  beautiful  clearness  of  her  stroke,  which  devi- 
ated not  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  line  she  wished  to 
follow.  She  made  six  great  characters  on  six  of  the 
scrolls.  These  characters  meant  "Peace,"  " Pros- 
perity," "Longevity,"  etc.  When  she  had  finished 
these,  she  said  she  feared  her  hand  had  no  longer  the 
firmness  necessary  for  doing  another. 

While  she  was  writing,  the  young  Empress,  the  Prin- 
cesses, and  the  eunuchs  stood  around,  watching  her 
with  intense  interest.  They  seemed  to  take  great 
pride  in  her  firmness  of  touch  and  her  accuracy  of 
line. 

The  Chinese  written  character  must  be  made  in  a 
certain  way.  It  must  begin  at  a  given  part.  The 
strokes  must  follow  a  given  direction.  The  trans- 
versal strokes  must  be  placed  with  mathematical 
precision.  Nothing  is  left  to  the  caprice  or  individuality 
of  the  writer.  Any  one,  knowing  the  Chinese  written 
characters,  can  tell  you  whether  these  complicated 
hieroglyphs  were  begun  at  the  proper  place  or  made 
in  the  proper  way.  They  may  look  perfectly  correct 
to  the  uninitiated  observer  who  has  a  most  accurate 
eye,  and  still  not  be  so  considered  by  the  connoisseur. 

The  firmness  of  Her  Majesty's  touch  is  also  very 
apparent  in  her  painting,  for  she  is  very  artistic,  and 
paints  flowers  in  a  charming  way;  in  fact,  she  is 
remarkably  clever  with  her  fingers.  She  does  not 
embroider  now,  as  she  formerly  did,  nor  does  she 
paint  so  much,  for  she  says  her  eyes  are  not  so  good 
as  they  were,  though  she  does  not  and  has  never 


136 


.•>    •* 


THE  EMPRESS   DOWAGER   WRITING  A   "GREAT  CHARACTER" 


Her  Accomplishments 

worn  glasses.  There  are  a  great  number  of  artificial 
flowers  made  in  the  Palace,  as  no  Manchu  lady's 
coiffure  is  considered  complete  without  flowers.  Her 
Majesty  is  very  particular  about  the  way  these  flow- 
ers are  made,  and  when  they  were  brought  to  her  for 
inspection,  with  a  deft  touch  she  would  give  a  de- 
fective flower  the  required  form. 

She  often  makes  new  designs  for  the  flowers,  hav- 
ing them  woven  into  quaint  figures,  or  having  a 
number  of  small  blooms  made  into  a  representation 
of  some  large  flower.  She  sometimes  had  her  diadem 
made  of  the  snowy  blooms  of  the  fragrant  jasmine, 
set  with  leaves  and  other  small  flowers,  representing 
jewels,  and  she  would  wear  this  instead  of  her  real 
jewels. 

She  is  a  great  believer  in  one  of  the  rules  that  Con- 
fucius lays  down  for  the  attainment  of  "Illustrious 
Virtue" ;  she  "  cultivates  her  person."  She  is  always 
immaculately  neat.  She  designs  her  own  dresses,  V 
and  has  her  jewels  set  according  to  her  own  direc- 
tions. She  is  very  artistic  in  the  arrangement  of 
her  flowers  and  jewels,  and  sees  that  they  harmonize 
with  her  toilet.  She  has  excellent  taste  in  the  choice 
of  colors,  and  I  never  saw  her  with  an  unbecoming 
color  on,  except  the  Imperial  yellow.  This  was  not 
becoming,  but  she  was  obliged  to  wear  it  on  all  official 
occasions.  She  used  to  modify  it,  as  much  as  possible, 
by  the  trimmings,  and  would  sometimes  have  it  so 
heavily  embroidered  that  the  original  color  was  hardly 
visible. 

She  is  a  great  epicure,  and  often  designs  new  and 
dainty  dishes.  She  has  perfumes  and  soaps  for  her 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

own  use,  made  in  the  Palace.  Although  there  are 
quantities  of  French  and  German  soaps  and  perfumes 
bought  for  the  Palace,  she  prefers  an  almond  paste 
that  she  has  made  and  often  uses  the  soap  made  in  the 
Palace.  The  maids  would  make  these  under  her  su- 
pervision. I  have  frequently  seen  them  bring  the 
mortar  in  which  they  were  stirring  it  to  Her  Majesty, 
that  she  might  see  its  progress,  and  she  would  ener- 
getically stir  it  herself.  She  is  also  a  great  lover 
of  perfumes,  and  herself  combines  the  oils  of  different 
flowers  so  as  to  produce  most  subtle  and  delightful 
perfumes.  The  Chinese  say  "  colors,  odors,  and  per- 
fumes are  good  for  the  soul."  The  Empress  Dowager's 
soul  was  certainly  well  cared  for  in  this  respect. 

The  Chinese  are  so  near  to  nature,  so  simple  in 
every  way,  that  their  influence  over  animals  and  birds 
is  extraordinary,  and  seems  to  us  almost  magical. 
They  are  very  fond  of  all  animals,  and  especially  so 
of  birds.  They  train  and  teach  these  latter  in  won- 
derful ways.  I  have  often  seen  a  Chinese  go  near  a 
singing  bird's  cage  and  tell  it  to  sing,  and  it  would 
pour  forth  its  little  heart  in  melody.  Birds  never 
seem  to  have  any  fear  of  them.  In  the  afternoons,  in 
early  spring,  or  on  a  fine  day  in  winter,  one  may  see 
hundreds  of  well-dressed  and  dignified  men  each 
carrying  a  covered  bird  cage,  taking  the  birds  out 
for  the  air.  When  they  arrive  at  some  open  space 
in  the  city,  or  beautiful  spot  in  the  environs,  they  un- 
cover the  cages  and  hold  them  aloft,  or  simply  sit 
with  them  on  their  knees,  and  the  bird  will  sing  as  if 
its  little  throat  would  burst.  They  have  absolutely 
no  fear,  and,  though  caged,  seem  to  have  a  perfect 

138 


Her  Accomplishments 

understanding  with  their  owners  and  obey  their 
voices.  They  are  often  let  out  of  the  cages  when 
taken  out  for  exercise,  but  they  will  return  to  them 
at  the  call  of  their  owners ;  and  these  birds  are  not 
hatched  in  cages— they  are  taken  from  the  forests  and 
trained. 

Two  of  the  religious  precepts  of  the  Chinese— "Hurt 
no  living  thing,"  "  Protect  all  living  things"— are  car- 
ried so  far,  they  will  allow  an  animal  to  live  in  misery 
rather  than  put  him  out  of  it  by  a  speedy  death. 
They  love  all  animals  and  fear  none.  They  say  if  you 
do  not  attack  an  animal,  however  dangerous  he  is,  he 
will  not  harm  you. 

The  Empress  Dowager  seemed  also  to  possess  this 
almost  magical  power  over  animals.  Her  dogs  never 
paid  the  slightest  attention  but  to  her  voice,  and  would 
obey  her  slightest  gesture;  but,  fond  as  she  was  of 
them,  she  rarely  caressed  them ;  and  she  was  so  par- 
ticular about  her  hands  that,  when  she  did  stroke  or 
fondle  one  of  her  pets,  she  would  immediately  after 
have  a  cloth  wrung  out  of  hot  water  brought  to  wipe 
her  fingers.  I  never  saw  a  dog  in  her  arms  but  once, 
and  this  was  a  puppy  which  she  took  a  fancy  to  when 
visiting  her  kennels  one  day,  and  she  brought  him 
back  to  the  Throne-room  in  her  arms  and  played  with 
him  for  some  time. 

On  one  of  our  promenades  in  the  park  I  saw  a 
curious  instance  of  her  wonderful  personal  magnet- 
ism and  her  power  over  animals.  A  bird  had  escaped 
from  its  cage,  and  some  eunuchs  were  making  efforts 
to  catch  it,  when  Her  Majesty  and  suite  came  into 
that  part  of  the  grounds.  The  eunuchs  had  found  it 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

impossible  to  entice  the  bird  back  into  its  cage ;  nor 
would  it  come  upon  a  long  stick  with  a  perch  attached, 
which  they  held  up  near  the  tree  where  it  rested.  The 
eunuchs  scattered  at  the  approach  of  Her  Majesty, 
and  she  inquired  the  cause  of  their  being  here.  The 
Chief  Eunuch  explained  what  they  were  doing,  and 
the  Empress  Dowager  said,  "  I  will  call  it  down."  I 
thought  this  was  a  vain  boast,  and  in  my  heart  I  pitied 
her.  She  was  so  accustomed  to  have  the  whole  world 
bow  to  her,  she  fancied  even  a  bird  in  the  grounds 
would  obey  her  mandates,  and  I  watched  to  see  how 
she  would  take  her  defeat.  She  had  a  long,  wand-like 
stick,  which  had  been  cut  from  a  sapling  and  freshly 
stripped  of  its  bark.  She  loved  the  faint  forest  odor  of 
these  freshly  cut  sticks,  and  in  the  spring  often  had 
one  when  she  went  out.  They  were  long  and  slender, 
with  a  crook  at  the  top.  I  used  to  think  she  looked 
like  the  pictures  of  fairies  when  she  walked  with 
these  long,  white  wands.  She  would  use  them  for 
pointing  out  a  flower  she  wished  the  eunuchs  to 
gather,  or  for  tracing  designs  on  the  gravel  when  she 
sat  down.  To-day  she  held  the  wand  she  carried  aloft 
and  made  a  low,  bird-like  sound  with  her  lips,  never 
taking  her  eyes  off  the  bird.  She  had  the  most  musi- 
cal of  voices,  and  its  flute-like  sound  seemed  like  a 
magical  magnet  to  the  bird.  He  fluttered  and  began 
to  descend  from  bough  to  bough  until  he  lighted  upon 
the  crook  of  her  wand,  when  she  gently  moved  her 
other  hand  up  nearer  and  nearer,  until  it  finally  rested 
on  her  finger ! 

I  had  been  watching  with  breathless  attention,  and 
so  tense  and  absorbed  had  I  become  that  the  sudden 

140 


THE  EMPRESS   DOWAGER   IN   THE  GARDENS  OF  THE  SUMMER 
PALACE-CALLING  A   BIRD 


Her  Accomplishments 

cessation,  when  the  bird  finally  came  upon  her  finger, 
caused  me  a  throb  of  almost  pain.  No  one  else,  how- 
ever, of  her  entourage  seemed  to  think  this  anything 
extraordinary.  After  a  few  moments  she  handed  the 
bird  to  one  of  the  eunuchs,  and  we  continued  on  our 
promenade. 

I  saw  another  instance  of  her  magnetic  power,  this 
time  with  a  katydid.  One  of  the  Princesses,  seeing 
one  on  a  bush,  tried  to  catch  it,  but  in  vain.  Her 
Majesty  held  out  her  hand  toward  the  beautiful  in- 
sect, made  a  peculiar  sound  like  their  own  cry,  and 
advanced  her  outstretched  finger  until  it  rested  upon 
it.  She  stroked  it  gently  for  a  few  moments,  and 
then  removed  her  fingers,  and  the  katydid  made  no 
effort  to  fly  until  she  put  it  down ! 


141 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  GREAT  AUDIENCE  HALL— SOME  OFFICIAL 
CUSTOMS 

WHEN  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  reigned  alone, 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  holding  his  Audiences 
as  early  as  three  o'clock  A.M.  It  is  said,  however,  that 
this  custom  was  owing  as  much  to  his  personal  shy- 
ness as  to  his  love  of  early  rising,  for  at  these  Audi- 
ences he  would  allow  but  two  candles  on  the  Throne- 
table  in  front  of  him,  and  the  Great  Hall  was  lighted 
elsewhere  only  by  the  beautiful  Chinese  lanterns,  which 
shine  with  but  a  dim  brilliancy  and  are  not  very  effec- 
tive as  lights.  Thus  his  face  could  not  be  seen  if  an 
official  should  so  forget  the  Proprieties  as  to  raise  his 
eyes  to  the  Imperial  Person. 

Their  Majesties'  Audiences  are  held  in  the  Great 
Audience  Hall,  a  detached  building  apart  and  quite 
distinct  from  all  the  other  buildings  of  the  Palace 
inclosure.  The  inscription  over  its  great  doors  points 
out  that  it  is  the  "  Hall  where  Industry  is  to  be  applied 
to  State  Affairs."  In  all  the  Palaces  the  Audience  Hall 
is  nearest  the  outside  walls  and  entrances,  so  that  the 
officials  who  are  privileged  to  have  Audiences  must 
only  pass  through  the  outer  courts  to  reach  the  hall— 
Their  Majesties'  Palaces  with  their  private  apartments 

142 


The  Great  Audience  Hall 

being  at  some  distance  beyond.  At  the  Winter  Palace, 
where  there  are  so  many  walls  within  walls,  each  of 
Their  Majesties'  Palaces  is  surrounded  with  walls, 
and  the  Audience  Hall  is  also  in  a  walled-in  inclosure 
near  one  of  the  Great  Gates,  but  at  the  Summer  Palace 
there  are  no  walls  except  the  exterior  ones ! 

The  interior  of  the  Audience  Hall,  at  the  Summer 
Palace,  is  not  by  any  means  bare  or  austere.  It  is  fur- 
nished in  the  same  style  as  the  Throne-rooms,  with 
splendid  ornaments,  curios,  tea-tables  and  chairs,  and, 
curious  anachronism,  there  are  here  three  pianos !  The 
walls  are  hung  with  ornamental  scrolls,  as  well  as  with 
those  bearing  some  gigantic  character  traced  by  an 
Emperor's  hand  or  some  condensed  bit  of  philosophy 
of  the  Sages.  One  of  these  scrolls  has  an  admonition 
to  the  Emperor  to  remember  that  "he  is  responsible 
to  Heaven  for  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  his 
people." 

There  is  a  great  dais  in  the  center  of  the  hall,  on 
which  stands  the  Throne,  with  its  table,  behind  which 
is  the  three-,  five-,  or  seven-leaved  screen.  The  ancient 
dais  was  lower  than  those  now  used,  and  the  antique 
Throne,  with  its  capacious  size  and  cushions,  was  more 
like  a  lounge  than  the  modern  Throne.  This  seems 
to  indicate  that  the  administration  of  justice  by  the 
Emperor  was  in  ancient  times  less  formal  and  more 
patriarchal  than  to-day.  In  former  times  the  Emperor 
could  lounge  upon  his  Throne  at  his  ease  when  see- 
ing his  Ministers,  and  they  could  approach  nearer  the 
Sacred  Person,  as  the  dais  was  not  so  large  nor  so  high 
as  that  in  use  to-day. 

Heads  of  departments  and  Princes  with  honorary 

143 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

official  positions  have  Audiences  on  certain  days  of  the 
month,  to  report  upon  affairs  of  their  Boards  or  to  pay 
their  respects  to  His  Majesty.  Every  day  Their  Maj- 
esties hold  Audience  and  see  the  Prime  Minister  and 
Grand  Secretary,  and  there  are  frequent  meetings  of 
the  Grand  Council.  The  Prime  Minister,  Prince  Ching, 
has  the  last  Audience  of  the  day,  and  business  reported 
on  during  the  other  Audiences  is  then  discussed. 

All  telegrams  and  despatches  go  to  their  respective 
Boards,  and  are,  except  in  cases  of  extreme  gravity, 
only  reported  to  Their  Majesties  at  the  Audiences. 
After  eleven  all  State  business  is  'supposed  to  be  fin- 
ished by  Their  Majesties.  They  are  then  free  from 
State  worries  and  cares  until  the  following  day. 
During  the  times  of  the  rebellion  in  the  Province  of 
Kwang-Si,  when  the  Russian  evacuation  of  Manchuria 
was  expected,  and  at  the  time  of  outbreak  of  hostili- 
ties in  Manchuria  (the  three  grave  events  occurring 
during  my  stay  in  the  Palace),  telegrams  and  despatches 
were  constantly  being  sent  to  Her  Majesty  out  of  Au- 
dience hours.  They  were  brought  to  her  Throne-room, 
and  sometimes  even  during  her  walks  in  the  gardens 
they  would  be  handed  her.  These  despatches  were 
sent  over  to  the  Palace  from  the  Wai-Wu-Pu  on  their 
arrival.  Of  course,  it  was  by  Her  Majesty's  express 
command  that  her  privacy  was  thus  infringed  upon. 
No  official  would  otherwise  have  dared  transgress  the 
prescribed  rules.  The  despatches  were  received  at  the 
entrance  of  the  Palace  by  the  eunuch  whose  province 
it  was.  He  placed  them  in  the  yellow-covered,  silken- 
lined  box,  in  which  they  were  presented  to  Her  Majesty 
on  bended  knees. 

144 


Some  Official  Customs 

In  front  of  the  Throne  dais,  during  the  hours  of 
Audience,  there  are  five  cushions  placed  on  the  floor 
for  the  members  of  the  Grand  Council  to  kneel  upon 
when  they  are  memorializing  Their  Majesties.  The 
Prime  Minister's  cushion  is  nearest  the  Throne.  A 
cushion  to  kneel  upon  is  a  privilege  only  granted 
members  of  the  Grand  Council.  Any  other  official,  when 
makingcommunications  to  Their  Majesties,  must  kneel 
upon  the  bare  marble  floor,  and  must  kneel  beyond 
the  space  occupied  by  these  five  cushions.  He  is  thus 
placed  at  a  disadvantage.  The  distance  at  which  he  is 
from  Their  Majesties  may  prevent  his  hearing  some  of 
their  words,  especially  the  Emperor's,  whose  voice  is 
very  low  and  without  any  carrying  quality.  The  offi- 
cial may  overcome  this  difficulty  and  shorten  the  dis- 
tance by  paying  the  eunuch  who  conducts  him  to  the 
Audience  Hall,  to  remove  some  of  the  cushions,  so  that 
he  may  kneel  nearer  the  dais.  The  Prime  Minister's 
and  Grand  Secretary's  cushions  may  on  no  condition 
be  removed,  but  the  other  three  are  subject  to  the  will 
of  the  introducing  eunuch.  If  this  latter  be  sufficiently 
paid,  and  there  is  a  fixed  price  for  each  cushion,  he 
will  remove  the  three  of  the  lower  members  of  the 
Cabinet. 

When  the  official  who  has  been  granted  an  Au- 
dience is  conducted  to  the  Audience  Hall  by  the 
eunuch  appointed  for  the  purpose,  the  latter  throws 
open  the  great  doors,  falls  upon  his  knees  at  the 
threshold,  and  announces  the  name  and  position  of 
the  official,  gives  the  hour  and  minute  of  his  arrival 
at  the  Palace,  and,  before  he  rises,  he  has  deftly  re- 
moved the  cushions  for  which  he  has  received  the 

145 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

required  sum.  After  his  name  has  been  announced, 
the  official  enters  and  kneels  as  near  the  dais  as  is 
consistent  with  his  rank  and  the  sum  paid  the  eunuch. 
When  the  eunuch  has  introduced  the  official,  he  turns 
from  the  door  and  must  run  away  as  fast  as  he  can. 
Officials  and  eunuchs  stationed  at  some  distance 
watch  his  departure.  Should  he  linger  or  transgress 
this  law,  capital  punishment  is  the  result.  This  is  to 
avoid  eavesdropping  and  the  possible  transmission  of 
State  secrets. 

When  the  official  granted  an  Audience  hears  the 
last  echo  of  the  steps  of  the  departing  eunuch,  he  falls 
upon  his  knees  and  begins  the  relation  of  his  business. 
Their  Majesties  question  him,  if  necessary,  to  elicit 
further  explanations.  When  the  Audience  is  finished, 
the  official  rises  and  walks  out.  The  Chinese  never 
back  out  of  the  Presence,  and  it  is  not  considered  a 
breach  of  etiquette  to  turn  their  backs  upon  Royalty ! 

The  officials  who  are  obliged  to  go  often  to  Audi- 
ences resort  to  an  amusing  subterfuge  to  protect  their 
knees  from  the  marble  floor.  They  strap  heavily 
wadded  cushions  around  their  knees  before  they  go 
in,  and  they  can  thus  kneel  in  comfort.  The  long 
Chinese  gown  worn  by  the  men,  of  course,  hides  these 
knee  cushions. 

His  Majesty  assumed  the  cares  of  State  at  an  early 
age,  when  he  was  still  filled  with  boyish  spirit.  Many 
of  the  heads  of  departments  are  old  men,  and  some 
of  them  doubtless  most  tiresome  in  reiterating  facts 
and  dwelling  upon  details.  When  the  young  Emperor 
first  took  over  the  direction  of  affairs  and  held  his 
Audiences  alone,  he  would  get  very  impatient  at 

146 


THE  OFFICIAL  AUDIENCE  OF  THEIR  MAJESTIES 


Some  Official  Customs 

hearing  several  of  these  old  men  go  over  tiresome 
details.  As  it  is  not  "  according  to  the  laws  of  pro- 
priety "  for  the  official  to  raise  his  eyes  to  the  Sacred 
Person,  while  the  old  man  rambled  on,  with  prosy 
detail,  the  young  Emperor  would  slip  off  the  Throne 
and  quietly  descend  from  the  dais,  and  when  the  poor 
official  raised  his  eyes  to  make  his  obeisance  to  the 
Emperor,  he  would  see  only  the  vacant  Throne !  His 
Majesty  had  been  in  the  rear  of  the  hall  behind  the 
screen  for  perhaps  five  minutes  smoking  a  cigarette 
or  otherwise  diverting  himself ! 

I  noticed  a  curious  fact  as  to  the  quality  of  the 
sacredness  of  the  persons  of  Their  Celestial  Majesties. 
This  sacredness  seems  to  belong  to  them  as  rulers 
and  not  as  individuals.  In  the  Audience  Hall  when 
administering  justice,  they  are  not  approached  nor 
addressed,  except  upon  bended  knee.  In  the  Palace, 
in  their  own  privacy,  when  they  give  an  order  or  any 
command  touching  upon  official  affairs,  this  order  is 
received  by  the  attendant,  be  he  courtier,  high  official 
or  great  prince,  on  his  knees.  When  any  official 
communication  is  made  to  Their  Majesties,  in  private 
or  elsewhere,  it  is  made  kneeling,  but  when  Their 
Majesties  are  in  their  private  capacity  and  spoken  to 
on  ordinary  affairs,  they  are  addressed  almost  famil- 
iarly, and  the  courtier  or  simple  attendant  stands 
while  speaking  to  them.  If,  however,  in  the  midst  of 
a  familiar  conversation  an  order  is  given,  the  atten- 
dant immediately  drops  upon  his  knees  to  receive  it. 

The  kow-tow  (pronounced  ker-toe  and  meaning 
literally  to  bow  the  head)  is  used  as  a  form  of  thanks, 
and  is  not  a  manner  of  greeting.  The  actors  kow- 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

tow  to  Their  Majesties  at  the  beginning  and  end  of 
each  performance  at  the  Theater,  first  to  thank  for 
the  honor  they  are  to  receive  in  being  allowed  to  act 
before  them,  and  at  the  end  to  thank  for  the  privilege 
granted.  The  officials  "bow  the  head"  to  thank  for 
an  Audience  or  any  favor  or  gift  they  have  received 
or  are  to  receive  from  Their  Majesties.  The  kow- 
tow is  not  only  made  by  people  at  the  Palace  and  at 
Imperial  Audiences :  it  is  sometimes  used  by  equals  to 
each  other  as  a  proper  manner  of  thanking  for  some 
great  favor.  To  make  the  kow-tow,  the  person  kneels 
three  times  and  each  time  bows  his  head  three  times, 
touching  the  ground  with  it.  The  kow-tow  could  not 
be  made  by  a  foreigner  without  looking  most  awkward 
and  appearing  most  servile,  but  the  Chinese  do  it  with 
dignity,  and  it  is  neither  ungraceful  nor  degrading- 
looking.  It  is  a  time-honored  manner  of  giving 
thanks,  a  Chinese  tradition  surviving  from  a  time 
when  the  courtiers  were  perhaps  like  slaves,  but  at 
present  it  does  not  imply  any  slave-like  inferiority  on 
the  part  of  him  who  performs  it. 


148 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  SUMMER  PALACE  AND  ITS  GROUNDS 

THE  Summer  Palace,  the  Empress  Dowager's  fa- 
vorite residence,  is  really  a  superb  domain.  Its 
naturally  picturesque  situation  among  the  beautiful 
Western  Hills,  sixteen  miles  from  Peking,  has  been 
improved  wherever  possible,  by  the  devices  of  art. 
The  many  buildings  that  constitute  an  Oriental  Palace 
have  been  most  picturesquely  grouped  on  the  banks 
of  its  great  lake.  The  eminences  and  natural  undu- 
lations have  all  been  made  the  most  of  as  sites  for 
Palaces  and  temples,  and  the  grounds  are  laid  out 
with  all  the  art  the  Chinese  landscape  artist  has  at 
his  command. 

The  buildings  of  the  Palace  proper,  where  Their 
Majesties  and  their  suites  live,  are  all  massed  in  one 
great  town-like  group  at  the  southeastern  end  of 
the  lake.  In  this  group  are  the  Theater,  with  its 
courts,  and  the  Great  Audience  Hall.  Palaces,  tem- 
ples, summer-houses,  tea-booths,  dot  the  whole  surface 
of  the  great  park,  and  all  the  vantage-points  have  been 
utilized  for  constructions. 

A  beautiful  white  marble  terrace  runs  the  length 
of  the  southern  side  of  the  lake.  Pavilions  at  inter- 
vals vary  the  monotony  of  this  line  or  give  accent  to 

149 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  natural  indentations  of  the  banks.  Picturesque 
landing-places,  with  their  marble  steps  lapped  by  the 
waters  of  the  lake,  also  lend  their  variety  to  this  ter- 
race surmounted  by  its  beautiful  lotus  balustrade. 

The  highest  of  the  hills  in  the  park  of  the  Summer 
Palace  is  crowned  by  the  Great  Temple  of  the  Ten 
Thousand  Buddhas.  This  is  approached  by  hundreds 
of  steps,  which  lead  up  from  the  broadest  part  of  the 
marble  terrace  over  the  lake.  Beautiful  Palaces  are 
built  along  this  terraced  height.  Picturesque  pai-lou 
(memorial  arches)  are  built  at  such  beautiful  points, 
that  Nature  herself  seems  to  have  designed  these  posi- 
tions for  them. 

A  fair,  verdure-clad  island  lies  peacefully  on  the 
bosom  of  the  lake,  and  the  Palace  and  temple  built 
thereon  seem  a  part  of  the  natural  formation  of  stone 
out  of  which  they  rise.  A  graceful  seventeen-arched 
bridge  of  white  marble  connects  this  island  with  the 
northern  bank  of  the  lake. 

The  canal  from  Peking,  which  feeds  the  lake,  winds 
in  and  out  of  the  grounds  in  such  graceful  meander- 
ings  as  to  seem  some  fair  mountain  stream.  The  out- 
lets to  the  lakes  are  spanned  by  the  graceful  camel- 
backed  bridges  that  only  the  Chinese  architects  build. 
Nature  and  art  are  everywhere  so  blended,  so  har- 
monized, it  is  difficult  to  tell  which  is  which.  The 
simple  lines  and  beautiful  proportions  and  harmoni- 
ous colors  of  the  one-storied  Chinese  buildings  make 
even  these  seem  almost  a  part  of  the  landscape. 

Chinese  architecture— and  one  grows  to  admire  it 
very  much  when  studied  in  its  own  environment — is 
tent-building,  carried  to  its  greatest  perfection  and 


The  Summer  Palace  and  Its  Grounds 

made  enduring  by  the  use  of  materials  that  last.  The 
grouping  of  the  Chinese  buildings  is  on  the  same 
order  as  the  congregation  of  tents  of  some  roving 
tribe  of  Nomads.  The  downward  curve  and  upturned 
tilt  of  their  roofs  is  but  the  natural  slope  of  the  can- 
vas and  its  uplifting  by  the  tent-poles.  These  slender 
tent-poles  have  developed  into  the  supporting  pillars 
of  the  verandah,  and  the  raised  canvas  door  of  the 
tent  has  grown  into  its  buoyantly  curved  roof.  The 
ornamental  eaves  are  but  the  solidified  silken  fringes 
and  embroidered  valances  of  the  tents  of  old.  The 
curious  roof  ornamentations  of  the  modern  Chinese 
house  replace  the  weights  that  held  the  tent-canvas 
steady.  These  weights,  from  rough  stones,  have  now 
become  carven  images,  cunningly  wrought.  The  Chi- 
nese even  erect  their  houses  as  their  ancestors  raised 
their  tents.  The  builder  places  the  columns  and  puts 
on  the  roof  before  the  walls  are  built.  Except  the  pa- 
goda—and this  even  seems  like  so  many  superposed 
tents— the  Chinese  building  remains  to-day,  in  spite  of 
its  elaborate  roofs,  its  lacquered  pillars,  and  elaborate 
ornamentation,  like  some  splendid  tent,  grown  into 
greater  fixity  and  beautified  by  some  magician's  wand. 
It  is  admirably  suited  to  the  calm  pastoral  landscapes 
in  which  it  rests,  and  seems  a  part  of  Nature  itself,  and 
is  never  out  of  keeping  with  its  surroundings ! 

Wherever  available,  in  the  grounds  of  the  Summer 
Palace,  flowers  are  planted,  and  they  succeed  each 
other  almost  the  whole  year  round,  for  the  Chinese 
are  wonderful  gardeners.  The  extensive  grounds  are, 
however,  not  given  up  entirely  to  flowers  and  beauti- 
ful constructions;  there  are  great  fields  of  grain. 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Wheat  and  millet,  and  even  vegetables,  are  raised  in 
these  pleasure  grounds.  It  was  curious  to  me  to  see 
how  picturesque  so  prosaic  a  thing  as  a  field  of  tur- 
nips might  become,  when  properly  placed  in  a  large 
pleasure  domain.  By  the  planting  of  these  useful 
crops,  a  great  deal  of  fertile  land  is  utilized,  without 
any  detriment  to  the  landscape,  and  the  utilitarian 
spirit,  so  strong  in  the  Chinese,  is  satisfied. 

There  is  one  terraced  hillside  in  the  grounds  of  the 
Summer  Palace,  called  the  "  Flowery  Mountain."  In 
the  season  of  the  peonies,  which  the  Chinese  call  "  The 
King  of  Flowers,"  this  is  really  a  flowery  mountain- 
one  mass  of  blooms  of  exquisitely  blended  colors  and 
faint  evanescent  perfume.  The  China  Aster  is  also 
brought  to  great  perfection  by  the  Chinese  gardeners, 
and  in  the  time  of  the  chrysanthemum  the  grounds 
fairly  blaze  with  this  autumnal  glory.  The  Chinese 
do  not  go  in  for  the  cultivation  of  the  chrysanthe- 
mum of  extraordinary  size.  Her  Majesty  does  not 
care  much  for  these ;  but  her  gardeners  arrive  at  some 
wonderful  combinations  of  colors  and  some  most  cu- 
rious shapes.  The  year  I  was  in  the  Palace,  Her  Maj- 
esty was  delighted  with  a  beautiful  green  variety, 
that  the  gardeners  had  succeeded  in  getting,  and  that 
year  there  was  also  a  new  variety  whose  petals  were 
like  threads,  they  were  so  thin  and  hair-like. 

The  Temple  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Buddhas  is  so 
called  from  its  being  built  in  glazed  yellow  tiles,  each 
representing  a  niche,  in  which  is  seated  a  Buddha,  of 
which  there  are  many  more  than  ten  thousand.  The 
interior  is  composed  of  three  chapels.  In  the  central 
one  thrones  the  Great  Buddha.  There  was  another 

152 


The  Summer  Palace  and  Its  Grounds 

famous  Buddha  in  this  temple,  which  was  invested 
with  peculiarly  sacred  qualities,  but  it  was  hurled  into 
the  lake  below  and  broken  into  a  thousand  pieces  when 
the  foreign  troops  were  in  possession  in  1900.  Her 
Majesty  seemed  to  feel  the  depredations  to  the  tem- 
ples, by  the  foreigners,  more  keenly  than  anything 
else.  The  Chinese  are  so  perfectly  tolerant  in  matters 
of  religion,  they  cannot  understand  our  attitude  to- 
ward any  other  religion  but  our  own,  and  our  con- 
tempt for  any  other  kind  of  worship  except  that  in 
which  we  ourselves  indulge. 

The  Chinese  are  said  to  hate  the  foreigner.  They 
certainly  have  not  much  reason  to  like  him ;  nor  to 
admire  our  much  vaunted  civilization.  The  European 
Christian  soldier  in  China  has  burned,  destroyed,  and 
killed  with  as  much  barbarity  as  the  heathen,  and  in 
many  instances  has  given  the  latter  points  in  cruelty. 

On  the  slope  behind  the  terraced  hill  of  the  Ten 
Thousand  Buddhas  are  the  ruins  of  the  old  Summer 
Palace,  destroyed  by  the  European  troops  fifty  years 
ago.  After  this,  the  site  of  the  dwelling  Palaces 
was  changed,  and  they  were  massed  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  lake.  Her  Majesty  has  nearly  hidden  all 
trace  of  the  1900  devastations  to  the  Summer  Palace, 
but  these  old  ruins  of  the  former  Palace  still  remain, 
and  they  are  not  a  blot  upon  the  landscape.  On  the 
contrary,  they  have  become  picturesque  with  time,  and 
give  the  one  note  of  somberness  to  this  smiling  de- 
mesne that  is  needed  to  accentuate  its  charm.  There 
is  a  small  lake  not  far  from  these  old  ruins,  built 
around  with  smiling  pavilions  and  a  curious  tower- 
like  construction  which  is  used  as  a  private  temple. 

'53 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

There  are  landing-places  and  small  boats.  It  looks 
like  a  charming  bit  of  old  Venice.  We  never  went 
here,  however,  but  once.  There  are  some  unhappy 
associations  connected  with  this  beautiful  spot,  and 
Her  Majesty  did  not  seem  to  care  to  visit  it.  The 
promenade  in  the  direction  of  the  old  Palace  also 
seemed  to  sadden  her,  for  she  had  passed  the  early 
years  of  her  married  life  in  these  now  crumbling  ruins. 
From  the  highest  elevations  in  the  grounds  of  the 
Summer  Palace,  we  could  see  the  road  from  Peking ! 
Sometimes  Her  Majesty  and  the  Ladies  would  watch 
from  some  of  the  summer-houses,  the  carts  and  chairs 
and  vehicles  as  they  passed  along.  Several  times  we 
saw  the  Emperor  and  his  suite  returning  from  some 
ceremony  in  Peking,  over  the  road  cleared  for  his 
passage.  Her  Majesty,  herself,  would  be  the  first  to 
descry  him,  and  she  would  say,  "  The  Emperor 
comes."  Then  the  Empress  and  Ladies  would  all 
look,  for  it  was  not  against  the  Proprieties  for  them 
to  look  at  His  Majesty  at  such  a  distance.  These 
views  of  the  high  road  from  the  eminences  of  the  Sum- 
mer Palace  were  all  Her  Majesty  and  the  young  Em- 
press ever  saw  of  the  outside  world  and  common 
humanity ;  for  neither  at  the  Winter  nor  Sea  Palaces 
could  they  get  any  views  from  a  distance,  nor  was 
there  any  opportunity  of  seeing  beyond  the  walls. 
When  Their  Chinese  Majesties  go  abroad— and  this  is 
generally  only  from  one  Palace  to  another— quaint, 
triangular  flags  are  placed  along  the  Imperial  route, 
warning  the  people  that  Their  Sacred  Majesties  are  to 
pass,  and  that  the  road  will  be  reserved  for  them 
between  certain  hours.  No  vehicles  or  pedestrians 


The  Summer  Palace  and  Its  Grounds 

are  allowed  for  some  time  before  and  after  the  Im- 
perial passage.  In  the  City  of  Peking,  the  inhabitants, 
even  on  the  streets  where  the  Imperial  cortege  is  to 
pass,  are  shut  into  their  houses  and  not  allowed  to  go 
out  of  their  doors  during  the  time,  and  at  the  inter- 
section of  the  transversal  streets  huge  curtains  are 
hung,  shutting  them  off  from  the  Imperial  way.  For 
these  progresses  of  Their  Majesties,  the  roads  are 
covered  with  yellow  sand. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  FESTIVAL  OF  THE  HARVEST  MOON— WORK  ON 
THE  PORTRAIT 

WE  think  the  Chinese  so  unemotional,  so  little 
given  to  pleasure  or  amusement;  but  there 
are  more  popular  festivals  in  China,  indulged  in  by 
all  classes  of  people,  than  in  any  country  in  the  world, 
except  perhaps  Japan.  The  people,  from  the  highest 
to  the  lowest,  enter  into  these  celebrations  with 
whole-souled  earnestness  and  real  enjoyment,  and  all 
the  popular  festivals,  as  well  as  the  religious  cere- 
monies, are  celebrated  in  the  Palace  with  apparently 
the  same  zest  as  among  the  people. 

The  Mid- Autumn  Festival,  popularly  known  as  the 
Festival  of  the  Harvest  Moon,  which  is  at  its  full  at 
the  time  of  the  celebration,  was,  of  course,  observed 
with  due  ceremony  at  the  Palace.  For  these  festivals 
there  are  always  representations  at  the  Palace  Thea- 
ter, and  one  of  the  plays  on  such  days  is  the  drama- 
tization of  the  Legend  of  the  Festival.  The  legend 
of  the  Harvest  Moon  is  this :  One  day  an  Emperor 
received  the  visit  of  a  fairy.  When  she  left  she  gave 
the  Emperor  an  herb,  saying,  should  he  eat  it,  he 
would  be  endowed  with  Immortality.  The  Emperor 
was  called  out,  soon  after  the  fairy's  visit,  and  forgot 


156 


The  Festival  of  the  Harvest  Moon 

the  gift  for  a  time,  and  the  herb  lay  upon  his  table. 
During  his  absence  from  the  Throne-room,  a  young 
handmaiden  entered  and,  seeing  the  root  on  the  table, 
with  childish  curiosity,  tasted  it,  and,  finding  it 
good,  ate  the  whole  of  it.  When  the  Emperor  again 
thought  of  his  precious  gift  from  the  fairy,  he  has- 
tened back  to  the  Throne-room,  to  remove  it  from  the 
table  where  he  had  left  it.  What  was  his  horror  to 
find  it  gone !  Learning  that  the  little  handmaid  was 
the  only  person  who  had  been  in  the  Throne-room,  he 
called  her  up  to  find  out  what  she  had  done  with  it. 
When  he  found  she  had  eaten  it,  he  ordered  her 
killed,  that  he  might  thus  again  obtain  the  herb. 
Before  the  eunuchs  could  accomplish  their  task,  the 
charm  began  to  work,  and  she  felt  the  wings  of  Im- 
mortality ;  and  borne  up  by  them,  she  flew  to  the  skies 
and  took  refuge  in  the  Moon,  where  she  still  lives  with 
the  pet  white  rabbit  she  had  in  her  arms  at  the  time 
she  flew  away  from  the  earth.  She  is  now  an  Immor- 
tal, and  in  the  Moon  she  compounds  the  Elixir  of 
Immortality.  The  rabbit,  also,  shares  her  immortality, 
and  ever  watches  at  the  lunar  threshold. 

The  drama,  with  this  little  maiden  as  heroine,  was 
played  by  Her  Majesty's  actors  on  the  day  of  the 
Moon  Festival,  and  the  finale  of  the  plays  that  day 
was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spectacular  tableaux 
I  have  ever  seen.  The  Chinese  obtain  most  artistic 
effects  in  their  illuminations,  and  by  the  most  simple 
means.  The  stage  represented  a  lake  covered  with 
luminous  lotus,  with  the  full  moon  floating  above. 
Throned  on  a  gigantic  lotus  flower  in  the  center  of  the 
lake  sat  an  immense,  golden  Buddha,  impassible  and 

157 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

serene,  ingeniously  illuminated  lotus  flowers  and  lu- 
minous birds,  emblems  of  Immortality,  hovered  over 
the  lake,  and  the  whole  tableau  was  supposed  to  rep- 
resent Nirvana,  when  the  soul  is  absorbed  into  Nature 
and  forms  a  part  of  it.  It  was  really  fairy-like. 

The  Ladies  dined  in  Her  Majesty's  loge,  and  this 
beautiful,  illuminated  tableau  was  scarcely  finished 
before  we  were  obliged  to  hurry  away  to  join  Their 
Majesties,  who  had  already  started  for  the  gardens 
where  the  ceremony  was  to  take  place.  The  proces- 
sion, with  the  Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager  and 
Ladies  in  full  dress,  as  usual  for  a  ceremony,  was 
accompanied  by  hundreds  of  lantern-bearing  eunuchs. 
It  wound,  in  and  out,  through  the  verandahed  corri- 
dors and  the  paths  of  the  garden  like  some  great 
glow-worm,  until  it  came  to  the  marble  terrace  be- 
neath the  Temple  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Buddhas,  on 
the  great  terrace  over  the  lake. 

Here,  in  an  open  space  bathed  in  the  rays  of  the 
softly  glowing  moon,  with  the  glory  of  the  setting 
sun  still  in  the  west,  in  front  of  the  great  Stone  Pai- 
lou  stood  a  beautifully  illuminated  floral  pai-lou  and 
an  altar  decorated  with  the  usual  pyramids  of  fruits, 
floral  offerings,  and  flagons  of  wine.  The  pai-lou  to 
the  Moon  was  entirely  of  chrysanthemums,  with  an 
inscription  "To  the  Glory  of  the  Chaste  and  Pure 
Celestial  Orb  "  in  white  blooms,  like  gleaming  stars, 
across  the  top. 

Their  Majesties  first  made  the  bows  and  prostra- 
tions to  the  Moon,  and  placed  floral  offerings  on  the 
altar.  Then  the  young  Empress  and  Ladies  did  like- 
wise, while  the  eunuchs  recited  a  poem  in  melodious 

158 


The  Festival  of  the  Harvest  Moon 

and  rhythmic  cadence.  The  Chinese  "recitative"  is 
very  musical,  much  more  so,  to  the  foreign  ear,  than 
their  music.  This  poem  to  the  Moon  was  recited  by 
two  voices  in  alternating  rhythm  with  wonderful 
effect.  When  the  recitation  was  finished,  an  "auto 
da  fe"  was  made  of  the  offerings,  to  which  were 
added  sticks  of  sweet  incense  and  paper  cut  in  curi- 
ous designs.  Over  all  was  poured  some  of  the  inflam- 
mable wine  from  the  flagons  on  the  altar,  and  the 
flames  leaped  high  above  the  huge  incense-burner  that 
stood  on  a  great  bronze  tripod  in  the  center  of  the 
moonlit  terrace.  It  was  a  wonderfully  picturesque 
sight— the  brilliant  circle  of  splendidly  gowned 
Ladies,  with  the  Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager  in 
their  midst,  around  the  flaming  censer,  whose  leaping 
flames  glinted  and  glowed  upon  the  jewels  and  gold 
embroidery  of  their  costumes.  The  lantern-bearing 
eunuchs  formed  a  faintly  glowing  circle  around  this 
shining  center;  and  over  the  whole  fantastic  pic- 
ture the  brilliant  Harvest  Moon  shone  with  unwonted 
splendor,  as  if  to  show  itself  worthy  of  the  obeisances 
it  had  just  received  from  this  brilliant  group. 

When  the  flames  no  longer  leaped  from  the  censer, 
when  only  the  white  smoke  of  the  incense  curled 
through  the  interstices  of  its  cover,  Their  Majesties 
turned  away,  and  the  lantern-lit  procession  followed 
them  to  the  banks  of  the  lake,  where  the  whole  Palace 
fleet,  brilliantly  illuminated,  lay  moored  beneath  the 
marble  terrace.  The  eunuchs,  holding  aloft  their 
gleaming  lanterns,  stood  along  the  terrace  and  knelt 
on  the  steps  leading  into  the  water,  while  Their  Majes- 
ties descended  them.  On  two  of  the  boats,  at  either 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

side  of  the  Imperial  barge,  the  eunuchs  held  their  lan- 
terns to  form  the  characters  "  Peace  "  and  "  Prosper- 
ity." The  waters  of  the  lake  were  now  glowing  with 
the  reflections  of  the  myriad  lanterns  and  dancing 
under  their  many-colored  lights.  A  faint  glow  still 
illumined  the  western  sky,  while  the  reflection  of  the 
resplendent  Moon  gleamed  like  liquid  diamonds  across 
the  lake !  When  we  reached  the  Imperial  landing- 
place,  its  great  arc-lights  on  the  two  tall,  painted  poles 
sent  their  reflections  shimmering,  in  long,  wavy  lines, 
far  out  into  the  lake,  and  almost  rivaled  in  their  splen- 
dor that  of  the  celestial  orb  itself. 

Although  I  took  part  in  all  these  Palace  festivals, 
my  work  on  the  portrait  was  advancing,  but  I  longed 
for  more  opportunity  to  quietly  study  it  and  for  a  little 
more  freedom  in  working.  I  felt  I  needed  more  time 
also  for  my  painting.  I  ardently  desired  to  be  able  to 
work  some  when  Her  Majesty  did  not  pose,  and  I 
finally  decided  to  ask  her  to  allow  me  to  remain  at 
my  painting  when  she  and  the  Ladies  went  for  their 
morning  walks  after  a  short  sitting.  It  was  a  depri- 
vation for  me  to  give  up  even  one  of  these  delightful 
walks,  when  I  saw  such  a  charming  side  of  the  Em- 
press Dowager's  character,  but  I  felt  it  must  be  done. 
She  reluctantly  consented  to  excuse  me  on  a  few 
occasions,  but  she  seemed  to  feel  it  was  not  hospitable 
on  her  part  to  leave  me  alone  ;  and  when  she  did  so  she 
would  remain  out  a  shorter  time  than  usual.  She 
seemed  so  concerned  at  my  working  while  the  others 
enjoyed  themselves,  that  I  soon  ceased  to  ask  to  be  left 
at  work ;  I  could  only  try  to  make  the  best  of  the  time 
I  had  at  my  disposal. 

160 


Work  on  the  Portrait 

My  desire  to  have  more  time  for  my  painting  and 
more  opportunity  for  studying  the  work  was  not  the 
only  cloud  in  the  heaven  of  these  delightful  days.  As 
the  portrait  progressed  I  found  myself  constantly  run- 
ning up  against  Chinese  conventionalities  as  to  the 
way  it  was  done.  They  wished  so  much  detail  and  no 
shadow.  Had  Her  Majesty  been  alone  to  be  consid- 
ered, she  was  artistic  and  progressive  enough  to  have, 
in  the  end,  allowed  me  more  liberty ;  but  she,  also,  was 
obliged  to  conform  to  tradition,  and  no  fantasy  could 
be  indulged  in  painting  the  portrait  of  a  Celestial 
Majesty.  It  was  necessary  to  conform  to  rigid  con- 
ventions. 

I  had  such  a  fine  opportunity  to  do  something  really 
picturesque  in  painting  this  great  Empress  and  most 
interesting  woman,  and  I  found  I  was  to  be  bound 
down  by  the  iron  fetters  of  Chinese  tradition !  I  could 
neither  choose  an  accessory,  nor  even  arrange  a  fold 
according  to  the  lines  of  the  composition.  I  was 
obliged  to  follow,  in  every  detail,  centuries-old  con- 
ventions. There  could  be  no  shadows  and  very  little 
perspective,  and  everything  must  be  painted  in  such 
full  light  as  to  lose  all  relief  and  picturesque  effect. 
When  I  saw  I  must  represent  Her  Majesty  in  such  a 
conventional  way  as  to  make  her  unusually  attractive 
personality  banal,  I  was  no  longer  filled  with  the  ardent 
enthusiasm  for  my  work  with  which  I  had  begun  it,  and 
I  had  many  a  heartache  and  much  inward  rebellion 
before  I  settled  down  to  the  inevitable. 

The  Empress  Dowager,  however,  knew  nothing  of 
my  discouragement,  and  seemed  perfectly  contented 
with  the  progress  of  the  portrait  then  on  hand— so 

161 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

pleased,  in  fact,  she  asked  me  if  I  would  not  like  Mrs. 
Conger  to  come  and  see  it.  I,  of  course,  replied  that  I 
would,  and  an  invitation  was  accordingly  sent,  through 
the  Foreign  Office,  inviting  Mrs.  Conger  to  come  to 
see  the  portrait. 

As  Her  Majesty  was  to  receive  her  in  the  Throne- 
room  where  I  painted,  it  was  decided  I  could  not  work 
on  that  day.  I  fully  expected  the  portrait  would  be 
exhibited  in  the  Throne-room,  the  only  place  where  it 
had  a  proper  light ;  but,  to  my  disappointment,  Mrs. 
Conger  was  asked  to  look  at  it  in  the  small  room 
where  it  was  kept  when  I  was  not  working  on  it. 
When  we  went  in,  the  Chief  Eunuch  ceremoniously 
removed  the  yellow  covering  over  the  "  Sacred  Pic- 
ture," which  hung  flat  against  the  wall  in  a  very  bad 
light,  with  annoying  reflections.  The  small  room  was 
also  uncomfortably  crowded  with  Her  Majesty  and 
suite,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  the  whole  can- 
vas at  once.  Mrs.  Conger  was,  however,  so  pleased 
with  the  likeness  and  lifelike  expression  in  the  eyes, 
the  upper  part  of  the  picture  being  in  a  fairly  good 
light,  that  the  comment  stopped  here. 

This  first  portrait  represented  the  Empress  Dowa- 
ger sitting  on  one  of  .her  favorite  Cantonese  carved 
Thrones.  The  figure  was  life-size.  In  one  hand  she 
held  a  flower,  and  the  other  lay  over  a  yellow  cushion. 
The  tip  of  one  small  embroidered  shoe,  with  its  jeweled, 
white  kid  sole  resting  on  a  dragon  footstool,  showed 
under  the  hem  of  her  gown.  The  head  was  a  three- 
quarters  view,  with  the  eyes  looking  at  the  observer. 
A  jardiniere,  with  her  favorite  orchid,  stood  behind 
the  Throne  at  the  right.  It  was  painted  in  full  light. 

l62 


Work  on  the  Portrait 

The  canvas  was  four  by  six  feet  in  size ;  and  there  was 
thus  no  place  for  any  of  the  emblems  or  insignia  of 
Her  Majesty's  rank,  save  that  she  was  clothed  in  her 
official  costume  of  Imperial  yellow. 

This  was  the  conventional  reality,  and  I  had 
dreamed  of  painting  Her  Majesty  in  one  of  her  Buddha- 
like  poses,  sitting  erect  upon  an  antique  Throne  of 
the  Dynasty,  with  one  beautifully  rounded  arm  and 
exquisitely  shaped  hand  resting  on  its  high  side,  con- 
trasting in  their  grace  with  its  severe  lines.  I  should 
have  exaggerated  her  small  stature  by  placing  her 
upon  the  largest  of  these  Dynastic  Thrones.  Her 
wonderfully  magnetic  personality  alone  should  have 
dominated.  At  the  left  of  the  Throne,  I  should  have 
placed  one  of  those  huge  Palace  braziers,  its  blue 
flames  leaping  into  the  air,  their  glow  glinting  here  and 
there  upon  her  jewels  and  the  rich  folds  of  her  drapery ; 
the  whole  enveloped  in  the  soft  azure  smoke  of  in- 
cense, rising  from  splendid  antique  bronze  censers. 
Across  the  base  of  the  picture,  under  her  feet,  should 
have  writhed  and  sprawled  the  rampant  double 
dragon.  The  Eternal  Feminine,  with  its  eternal  enig- 
ma shining  from  her  inscrutable  eyes,  should  have 
pierced,  with  almost  cruel  penetration,  the  mystery  of 
her  surroundings.  Her  face  should  have  shone  out  of 
this  dim  interior,  as  her  personality  does  above  her 
real  environment.  I  should  have  tried  to  show  all 
the  force  and  strength  of  her  nature  in  that  charac- 
teristic face,  exaggerating  every  feature  of  it,  rather 
than  toning  down  one  line. 

With  all  these  possibilities  that  the  Empress  Dowa- 
ger's person  and  surroundings  would  suggest  to  the 

163 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

most  unimaginative  of  artists,  and  with  the  conven- 
tional traditions,  which  I  was  obliged  to  follow,  no 
wonder  I  became  discouraged.  But  I  had  always  the 
solace  of  her  personality — the  fascinating  study  of 
herself  to  delight  and  console  me.  New  phases  of 
her  character  and  personality  were  constantly  opening 
out  before  me.  She  dominates  everything  and  every- 
body in  the  Palace,  and  is  far  and  away,  the  most 
interesting  personality  there,  not  because  she  is  the 
first  figure  at  the  Court,  but  because  she  is  really  the 
most  interesting  one,  and  she  would  be  that  in  any 
position.  No  wonder  that  when  she  smiles  the  Court 
is  gay— her  smile  is  so  entrancing.  No  wonder  that 
when  she  frowns  the  Court  trembles,  for  she  excites 
sympathy  in  all  her  moods. 


164 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A  GARDEN  PARTY  AT  THE  SUMMER  PALACE 

NOT  long  after  this,  Her  Majesty  gave  a  garden 
party  for  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Lega- 
tions. These  garden  parties  occupy  two  days,  for 
ladies  and  gentlemen  are  not  received  at  the  same 
time  by  Their  Majesties  of  China.  The  Corps  Diplo- 
matique and  attache's  were  entertained  the  first  day, 
and  the  ladies  of  the  Legations  the  following  day. 
The  entertainment  was  the  same  for  each.  The  gen- 
tlemen were  formally  received  in  the  Great  Audience 
Hall  by  Their  Majesties,  after  which  a  repast  was 
served  them  in  a  pavilion  near.  When  this  was  fin- 
ished, they  were  taken  for  a  tour  of  the  gardens  and 
lakes,  and  they  left  the  Palace  about  two  o'clock. 
None  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Court,  except,  of  course, 
the  Empress  Dowager,  were  present  at  the  receptions 
of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique.  The 
ladies  of  the  Legations  were  received  the  following 
day. 

I  was  rather  embarrassed  as  to  what  I  should  do,  at 
this  first  formal  reception,  for  the  ladies  of  the  Lega- 
tions, since  my  arrival  in  the  Palace.  Being  a  for- 
eigner, I  thought  it  looked  incongruous  for  me  to 
receive  with  the  Chinese  Ladies.  My  uneasiness 

'65 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

seemed  to  be  divined  by  Her  Majesty  (she  was  always 
wonderful  for  her  tact) ;  she  said,  as  I  had  been  pre- 
sented first  in  private  Audience,  it  would  be  well  for  me 
to  be  presented  also  in  public  Audience.  She  suggested 
that  I  should  go  to  the  Foreign  Office,  meet  Mrs. 
Conger  on  her  arrival,  and  come  into  the  Throne- 
room  with  her.  When  the  eunuchs  announced  that 
the  ladies  had  arrived  at  the  Foreign  Office,  Her 
Majesty  ordered  my  red  Palace  chair  to  take  me 
there. 

The  Foreign  Office  is  only  a  few  hundred  yards  to 
the  left  of  the  Imperial  entrance  to  the  Palace.  Mrs. 
Conger  was  one  of  the  first  ladies  to  arrive.  When 
the  other  ladies  came,  all  walked  over  to  the  gate  of 
the  Palace,  and,  after  entering,  went  to  a  pavilion  at 
the  right  of  the  Audience  Hall,  where  they  arranged 
themselves  in  the  order  in  which  they  were  to  be 
presented. 

The  verandah  and  large  marble  platform  of  ap- 
proach to  the  Audience  Hall  were  shaded  with  tent- 
like  silken  awnings  and  covered,  for  the  day,  with 
red  carpets,  the  latter  a  concession  to  foreign  taste ; 
for  Her  Majesty,  though  having  many  beautiful  car- 
pets stored  up,  has  none  in  use,  and  only  in  winter 
and  for  certain  functions  are  the  courts  carpeted. 
She  never  uses  them  in  the  interior. 

A  double  line  of  Princesses,  led  by  the  Princess 
Imperial,  descended  the  steps  of  the  Audience  Hall 
and  met  the  ladies  on  the  marble  platform.  The 
Princesses  then  turned  and  preceded  them  into  the 
Audience  Hall.  Here  they  separated  and  stood  in  a 
picturesque  group  on  either  side  of  the  Throne  dais. 

166 


A  Garden  Party 


Here,  in  the  dim  obscurity,  sat  the  Empress  Dowa- 
ger on  the  Dynastic  Throne,  with  the  Emperor  seated 
at  her  left.  In  front  of  Her  Majesty  stood  the  official 
table,  with  its  cover  of  Imperial  yellow  reaching  to  the 
floor.  To  the  ladies  standing  below  the  dais  only  the 
heads  and  shoulders  of  the  Empress  Dowager  were 
visible  above  the  table,  with  its  pyramids  of  fruits 
and  flowers. 

The  ladies  made  three  reverences  on  entering,  and 
each  advanced  and  went  up  on  the  dais  at  her  presenta- 
tion. Her  Majesty's  interpreter,  the  elder  Miss  Yu, 
stood  at  her  right,  a  little  behind,  and  repeated  the 
Chinese  name  and  title  of  each  lady  presented.  Her 
Majesty,  who  has  a  royal  memory  for  faces,  recog- 
nized each  lady  who  had  been  presented  before,  but 
treated  all  with  equal  cordiality.  This  cordiality  was 
sometimes  construed  by  the  ladies,  on  their  first  pres- 
entation, as  a  special  mark  of  interest  in  themselves ; 
but  it  was  the  Empress  Dowager's  invariable  posi- 
tion toward  all  the  foreigners  at  these  diplomatic 
receptions.  Like  all  well-bred  hostesses,  she  was 
most  particular  to  show  no  difference  even  to  those 
ladies  she  liked  best. 

When  all  had  been  presented,  the  eunuchs  removed 
the  official  table  behind  which  the  Empress  Dowager 
received  the  formal  presentations,  and  she  descended 
from  the  dais.  One  of  her  yellow  satin  chairs  was 
brought  and  she  sat  down  at  the  right  side  of  the 
Audience  Hall.  The  ladies  were  then,  collectively, 
presented  by  Her  Majesty  to  the  young  Empress  and 
the  Princess  Imperial,  and  tea  was  ordered.  While 
the  ladies  were  drinking  tea,  standing  around  the 

167 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Empress  Dowager's  chair,  she  said  a  few  words 
to  each,  informally. 

When  the  tea  was  finished,  the  ladies,  conducted  by 
the  eunuchs  and  accompanied  by  the  Princesses,  went 
through  the  court  of  the  Theater,  past  the  Palace  of 
the  young  Empress,  through  Her  Majesty's  court  to 
her  Throne-room,  where  luncheon  was  served.  This 
was  in  alternate  courses  of  foreign  and  Chinese  food. 
There  were  foreign  wines  and  table  waters,  as  well  as 
Chinese,  and  quantities  of  sweet  champagne,  without 
which,  the  Chinese  imagine,  no  foreigner  can  eat. 

After  luncheon,  at  which  the  Imperial  Princess  and 
Princesses  acted  as  hostesses,  the  visiting  ladies  went 
to  the  marble  terrace  overlooking  the  lake.  Here  they 
were  met  by  the  young  Empress  and  the  secondary 
wife  of  the  Emperor,  for  they  were  never  present  at 
the  table  when  the  foreign  ladies  were  entertained, 
any  more  than  Her  Majesty  herself. 

The  Empress  Dowager's  barge  did  not  lead  the 
Palace  fleet  that  day.  There  were  three  big  house- 
boats, each  of  which  ponderous  affairs  had  a  large 
cabin  with  a  yellow-covered  seat  for  Her  Majesty, 
which,  though  she  never  used,  was  never  occupied  by 
any  one  else.  Anything  covered  with  yellow  is  sacred 
to  Their  Majesties,  and  is  never  used  except  by  them. 

We  were  rowed  across  the  lake,  first  to  the  island, 
where  the  Palace  and  small  temple  adjacent  were 
visited,  after  which  the  ladies  took  the  boats  again 
and  continued  the  tour  of  the  lake  to  the  Marble  Boat. 
This  Marble  Boat  was  built  over  the  lake  as  a  summer- 
house  for  one  of  the  Emperors,  and  is  on  the  plan  of 
the  Palace  house-boat,  but  with  an  upper,  as  well  as 

168 


THE  SECONDARY  WIFE  OF  THE  EMPEROR 
In  Summer  Coiffure 


A  Garden  Party 


lower  deck.  It  is  one  of  the  things  in  the  Summer 
Palace  most  talked  about  by  foreigners,  and  it  is  a 
curiosity,  though  not  a  thing  of  beauty.  It  was  never 
made  the  objective  point  of  any  of  Her  Majesty's 
promenades,  nor  visited,  except  when  foreigners  were 
invited  to  the  Palace.  On  the  lower  deck  of  the 
Marble  Boat,  where  was  the  best  view  of  the  lake,  light 
refreshments,  sweets,  and  fruits  were  served.  When 
the  tour  of  the  lake  was  finished,  the  ladies  made 
their  adieus  to  Their  Majesties  and  the  young  Em- 
press and  Princesses,  and  left  the  Palace  grounds  for 
the  Foreign  Office,  where  they  took  their  own  chairs 
and  carriages  for  Peking. 

In  spite  of  Her  Majesty's  cordiality  and  the  efforts 
of  the  Princesses  and  Ladies,  these  garden  parties 
were  not  always  as  pleasant  as  they  might  be.  There 
seemed  an  absolute  lack  of  harmony  among  the  ladies 
of  the  Legation.  Each  seemed  to  watch  the  other  with 
a  jealous  eye,  in  constant  fear  that  some  one  might 
overstep  her  place.  Some  did  not  hesitate,  even,  to 
show  their  private  animosities  on  the  steps  of  the 
Throne,  or  before  their  hostesses  at  the  table.  They 
seemed  to  act  on  the  principle  that  the  Chinese,  not 
understanding  the  language,  would  not  understand 
anything  else.  It  was  unfortunate  that  this  most 
punctilious  of  people,  the  Chinese,  should  have  had 
this  apparent  lack  of  friendliness  to  judge  the  Euro- 
pean ladies  by.  They  received  all  with  equal  favor  and 
perfect  etiquette,  and  it  was  a  pity  that  the  lack  of 
harmony  among  the  foreign  ladies  should  have  led 
them  to  commit  what  seemed  to  be  breaches  of  eti 
quette,  which  the  Chinese  could  not  have  failed  to 


169 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

observe.  I  was  astonished  to  see  how  observant  the 
latter  were  and  how  accurately  they  gauged  our 
standing. 

Their  comments  on  our  costumes  were  also  very 
interesting.  Her  Majesty  seemed  to  like  foreign  dress, 
especially  when  in  pretty  colors,  for  she  reveled  in 
color.  She  said  the  foreign  costume  was  very  becom- 
ing to  well-made  and  well-proportioned  people;  but 
she  thought,  while  it  showed  off  to  advantage  a  good 
figure,  it  was  unfortunate  for  any  one  who  was  not 
so  blessed.  She  thought  the  Chinese  costume,  falling  in 
straight  lines  from  the  shoulder,  was  more  becoming 
to  stout  people,  for  it  hid  many  defects.  One  universal 
comment,  among  these  Chinese  ladies,  on  us,  was  that 
we  look  old  for  our  years.  The  well-bred  Chinese  repress, 
from  early  childhood,  all  outward  evidences  of  emo- 
tion. They  lead  such  simple,  wholesome  lives — "  Early 
to  bed  and  early  to  rise  "—that  there  are  rarely  any 
lines  visible  in  their  faces  until  they  reach  an  advanced 
age,  when  they  seem  to  go  suddenly  from  ripe  woman- 
hood into  extreme  old  age. 

They  have  a  particular  aversion  to  blond  hair.  They 
did  not  tell  me  so,  as  I  have  blond  hair ;  but  on  the  stage 
all  the  demons  are  represented  with  blond1  hair,  and  the 
more  blond  it  is,  the  more  wicked  the  demon.  One  day, 
one  of  the  Ladies  suggested  to  me  that  there  were  some 
very  fine  vegetable  hair  dyes  for  turning  the  hair  black 
without  injuring  it ;  in  fact,  the  growth  was  increased 
thereby.  She  said  if  I  used  this,  my  hair  "  might  in 
time  become  black;  at  least,  it  would  grow  much 
darker." 


CHAPTER  XX 

I  BEGIN  A  SECOND    PORTRAIT  OF   HER   MAJESTY— THE 
PALACE  PAINTERS 

I  HAD  several  days  of  good  work  on  the  portrait 
after  the  garden  party,  when  Her  Majesty  decided 
it  was  sufficiently  advanced  for  the  characters,  giving 
her  name  and  titles,  to  be  placed  across  the  top  of  the 
canvas.  As  she  has  sixteen  appellations,  represented 
by  sixteen  characters,  and  as  they  were  all  to  be  placed 
upon  the  picture,  together  with  her  two  seals,  official 
and  personal,  it  required  some  maneuvering  to  get 
them  into  the  space  required.  This  lettering  was  looked 
upon  as  a  very  important  detail ;  there  were  numbers 
of  models  of  the  characters  made  before  the  proper  size 
and  style  was  arrived  at.  The  seals,  about  three  inches 
long,  had  to  be  placed  at  either  end  of  the  sixteen  char- 
acters, and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  deliberation  as 
to  the  color  in  which  the  characters  were  to  be  painted. 
Red  was  finally  decided  upon.  The  two  seals  were  to 
be  painted,  one  in  red  characters  on  a  white  ground, 
and  the  other  in  white  characters  on  a  red  ground. 
As  I  had  not  known  these  appellations  were  to  be 
placed  across  the  top  of  the  canvas  when  I  began  the 
portrait,  I  had  not  allowed  for  them,  and  putting  them 
on  took  away  from  the  space  above  the  head  and  de- 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

tracted  from  the  general  effect.  This  was  another  dis- 
couragement. I  left  the  discussion  of  the  lettering  to 
Her  Majesty  and  the  writers,  and  I  decided  to  give  the 
canvas  over  entirely  to  the  latter  for  a  few  days,  in  order 
that  they  might  place  the  characters  thereon,  and  that 
Her  Majesty  might  have  time  to  decide  upon  their 
color  at  her  leisure. 

Her  Majesty  had  told  me,  a  few  days  before,  she 
wished  me  to  paint  a  "  number  of  portraits  "  of  her,  so 
I  decided  to  begin  another  now,  and  I  hoped  to  be  able, 
as  this  was  not  to  be  an  official  portrait,  to  have  a 
little  more  liberty  in  painting  it.  Her  Majesty  de- 
cided that  it  should  be  painted  in  her  ordinary  dress 
and  without  the  Manchu  coiffure,  which  she  only  wears 
at  her  Audiences,  as  it  is  very  heavy  and  very  tiring 
to  her  head.  The  day  I  began  the  portrait  she  had  on 
a  gown  of  soft,  embroidered  blue.  Her  hair,  in  a  coil 
at  the  top  of  her  head,  was  beautifully  dressed,  with 
the  jasmine  flowers  so  quaintly  arranged,  a  realistic 
butterfly  poised  above  them  j  her  jewels  so  discreet  and 
picturesque,  I  asked  her  to  pose  and  let  me  paint 
her  as  she  was  then.  Her  coiffure,  without  the  Man- 
chu head-dress,  is  much  more  becoming  to  her  than 
with  the  huge,  wing- like  construction  which  made  her 
look  top-heavy ;  for  when  she  wore  it,  being  in  official 
costume,  she  was  obliged  to  wear  a  great  profusion 
of  jewels  and  ornaments.  In  this  portrait  she  was 
seated  upon  her  Throne,  but  not  in  a  traditional  atti- 
tude, and  I  began  it  full  of  hope ;  for,  at  least,  I  had 
more  choice  as  to  the  surroundings  and  accessories, 
which  were  not  obliged  to  be  "  according  to  tradition." 
As  it  was  only  to  be  seen  by  her  intimates,  I  asked 

172 


The  Palace  Painters 

her  to  let  me  paint  her  two  favorite  dogs  lying  beside 
her  footstool,  the  blond  "  Shadza  "  and  dusky  "  Hailo." 
Her  Majesty  gladly  consented,  and  "  Hailo  "  was  or- 
dered to  be  decorated  in  his  "  gala  costume."  This 
consisted  of  two  huge  chrysanthemums  tied  in  his  hair 
over  his  ears.  "  Shadza,"  the  Pekingese  pug,  resented 
any  such  accoutrement  and  was  painted  in  his  natural 
state.  She  took  the  liveliest  interest  in  the  painting  of 
the  dogs'  portraits,  and  seemed  to  think  it  much  more 
wonderful  to  paint  these  little  animals,  so  that  they 
were  recognizable,  than  to  make  a  likeness  of  herself. 
I  was  obliged,  of  course,  to  do  them  very  quickly.  She 
sat  behind  me  all  the  time  I  was  painting  them,  and 
the  rapidity  with  which  they  grew  much  astonished  her. 

I  discovered  about  this  time  I  was  not  the  only  u 
painter  in  the  Palace.  Her  Majesty  has  a  corps  of 
painters  always  there.  These  painters  decorate  the 
thousands  of  lanterns  used  in  the  Palace  ceremonies 
and  processions.  They  paint  the  scenery  for  the 
spectacular  plays  at  the  Theater,  and  the  flowers  used 
for  the  decorations  of  the  screen-like  walls  I  have  al- 
ready alluded  to.  Some  are  very  clever  flower  painters, 
and  one  even  paints  portraits,  but  they  have  never  seen 
the  Empress  Dowager  except  from  afar!  Though 
Mandarins  of  the  Third  rank,  the  painters  were  obliged 
to  withdraw  from  the  court  where  they  worked  when 
Her  Majesty  and  suite  passed  by.  It  was  amusing  to 
see  these  dignified,  handsomely  gowned  officials  being 
hurried  out  of  the  court  on  Her  Majesty's  approach  by 
the  eunuchs  who  precede  her.  Their  paintings  were 
submitted  to  her  by  one  of  the  eunuchs,  by  whom  she 
sent  her  instructions  to  them. 

'73 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

I  saw  these  painters  first,  at  the  time  of  the  chrys- 
anthemums. There  were  some  new  varieties  in  one 
of  Her  Majesty's  courts  that  she  wished  painted. 
One  day,  on  going  into  this  court,  I  saw  a  group 
of  bebuttoned  officials  studying  the  flowers.  They 
gravely  inclined  their  heads  with  the  customary  dig- 
nity of  the  Chinese,  and  I  found  later  they  were 
"  confreres." 

It  was  interesting  to  me  to  see  their  methods— so 
different  from  ours,  but  arriving  at  a  very  artistic 
result.  I  never  spoke  to  them;  but,  as  I  was  an 
outer  barbarian,  I  took  advantage  of  my  position  and 
watched  them  work  from  my  windows,  though  I  took 
care  to  keep  myself  hidden  behind  the  curtains,  in  true 
Oriental  style.  They  worked  in  the  court  quite  near 
my  pavilion.  The  chief  painter  selected  the  flower 
to  be  copied,  and  the  others  stood  around  while  he 
painted,  petal  by  petal,  with  most  laborious  and 
minute  attention.  While  he  worked,  the  others  took 
notes  and  made  studies  of  the  same  flower.  When 
this  laborious  first  study  was  finished,  it  was  copied 
with  a  freer  hand  by  one  of  the  painters,  and  this 
copy  was  copied  until  they  finally  arrived  at  a  dash- 
ing study,  which  seemed  to  be  done  "de  premier 
coup." 

When  the  chrysanthemums  were  in  their  full 
glory,  one  day  when  Her  Majesty  had  allowed  me  to 
remain  at  my  work  while  she  and  the  Ladies  went  for 
their  walk,  she  brought  me,  on  her  return,  a  curious 
new  variety.  When  she  handed  it  to  me  she  said,  "  I 
will  give  you  something  nice  if  you  guess  what  I 
have  named  this  flower."  It  was  one  of  those  new 

1.74 


The  Palace  Painters 

varieties  with  hair-like  petals  and  a  compact  cen- 
ter, like  the  bald  head  of  an  old  man.  I  told  her 
I  was  afraid  I  could  n't  guess,  but  I  thought "  it  looked 
like  an  old  man's  head."  She  was  delighted,  and  said, 
"  You  have  guessed.  I  have  just  given  it  the  name 
of  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain." 

We  were  still  having  daily  walks  in  the  gardens, 
and  there  was  always  some  delightful  little  incident 
to  make  them  pleasant  and  memorable.  One  day, 
when  we  were  out  and  were  resting,  while  Her  Majesty 
was  sitting  alone  before  the  "  Peony  Mountain,"  the 
young  Empress  and  Ladies  stood  in  a  group  at  a  little 
distance.  We  were  near  some  arbor-vitaB  trees,  and 
the  young  Empress  picked  a  piece  that  looked  like  a 
"  peacock's  feather."  She  told  me  to  kneel  and  let  her 
"decorate"  me.  She  stuck  the  curiously  shaped 
branch  in  my  hair  so  that  it  hung  over  the  neck  and 
looked  like  the  "  peacock  feather,"  which  is  given  as 
a  reward  of  merit  to  the  highest  officials,  and  is  always 
worn  upon  their  hats.  When  she  had  placed  it,  she 
told  me  to  rise,  and  called  me  "Your  Excellency 
Carl,"  which  is  the  title  of  those  who  possess  the  deco- 
ration of  the  peacock  feather.  I  kept  it  in  my  hair 
and  soon  quite  forgot  my  "  decoration."  When  we 
were  walking  on,  Her  Majesty  noticed  it.  She  had 
been  preoccupied  and  sad  that  day,  but  when  she  saw 
it  she  smiled,  and  said,  "Who  decorated  you  with  the 
peacock  feather?"  I  told  her  the  young  Empress  had 
done  so.  She  said  that  was  her  prerogative,  but  she 
added,  "If  you  were  a  man  you  would  win  it,  and 
probably  a  yellow  jacket  also,  for  you  are  fearless." 
Why  did  she  think  me  fearless?  Could  she  have 

175 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

heard  that  the  foreigners  in  Peking  seemed  to  think 
it  was  almost  as  much  as  taking  my  life  in  my  own 
hands  to  go  and  live  entirely  alone  among  the  Chi- 
nese at  Court,  and  put  myself  in  Her  Majesty's  power, 
after  the  Boxer  trouble  ? 

Another  afternoon  we  went  into  the  Great  Audience 
Hall  when  we  were  passing  it,  and  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  studying  in  detail  the  interior  of  this  mag- 
nificent hall.  I  examined  closely  some  of  the  rare 
old  niellee  bronzes  and  wonderful  Chinese  cloisonne, 
for  here  are  some  of  the  finest  specimens  in  the  Sum- 
mer Palace.  In  the  back  of  the  hall  were  three 
pianos,  two  upright  and  a  new  Grand  piano,  which 
had  but  lately  arrived  at  the  Palace.  Her  Majesty 
wished  us  to  try  the  Grand  piano,  and  one  of  Lady 
Yu-Keng's  daughters,  who  had  studied  music  in  Paris, 
played  a  few  airs.  Her  Majesty  thought  the  piano  a 
curious  sort  of  instrument,  but  lacking  in  volume 
and  tone  for  so  large  an  instrument.  She  asked  me 
to  play  also,  and  then  said  she  would  like  to  see  how 
the  foreigners  danced,  and  suggested  my  playing 
some  dance  music.  The  Misses  Yu-Keng  waltzed,  and 
she  thought  it  very  amusing  to  watch  them.  She  \J 
could  not,  however,  understand  how  ladies  and 
gentlemen  could  enjoy  dancing  together,  nor  what 
pleasure  they  found  in  it.  She  said  the  Chinese  pay 
others  to  dance  for  them,  and  would  not  think  of 
doing  so  themselves  for  pleasure.  It  seemed  to  her 
the  charm  was  rather  in  watching  the  graceful  move- 
ments of  the  dancer  than  in  executing  those  move- 
ments one's  self.  I  wondered  what  she  would  say, 
could  she  see  one  of  our  crowded  European  ball-rooms, 

176 


The  Palace  Painters 

with  hundreds  of  couples  on  the  floor  at  the  same 
time,  making  violent  efforts  to  steer  through  the 
crowd.  I  fancy  she  would  not  have  found  pleasure 
even  in  watching  these  dancers. 


177 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  EUROPEAN  CIRCUS  AT  TELE  PALACE 

/CHINESE  ceremonies  and  celebrations  were  not 
\J  all  I  was  destined  to  enjoy  while  at  the  Summer 
Palace.  There  began  to  be  talk  of  some  "foreign 
entertainment"  soon  to  be  given,  and  when  I  found 
this  foreign  entertainment  was  to  be  a  circus,  a  real 
European  circus,  I  was  delighted.  I  had  been  out  in 
China  two  years,  and  had  not  had  much  European 
entertainment  during  that  time,  and— shall  I  confess 
it?— I  dearly  loved  a  circus  if  the  horses  and  animals 
were  fine.  This  circus  was  then  in  Tientsin,  and 
some  one  had  suggested  to  Their  Majesties  it  would 
be  an  interesting  thing  to  see.  A  young  Manchu  was 
sent  to  Tientsin  to  investigate.  When  he  returned, 
naming  posters  were  submitted  to  Their  Majesties  by 
the  Chief  Eunuchs.  When  the  Empress  Dowager  saw 
the  vulgarly  colored  picture  of  a  summarily  clad  young 
woman  of  the  show,  I  was  watching  her  face  and  I 
saw  a  look  of  contemptuous  scorn  pass  over  it.  She 
brightened  up,  however,  when  she  saw  the  pictures  of 
the  animals  at  their  tricks,  and  the  men  on  horses, 
and  it  was  decided  that  the  circus  should  be  brought 
up  from  Tientsin !  The  animals  and  performers  were 
to  be  domiciled  in  one  of  the  parks  near  by,  but  the 

178 


A  European  Circus  at  the  Palace 

tent  was  to  be  stretched  within  the  inclosure  of  the 
Palace. 

Sites  for  the  ring  were  discussed,  and  it  was  finally 
decided  to  have  the  tents  pitched  at  the  extreme  west- 
ern end  of  the  lake.  There  was  a  large  open  field 
here,  planted  in  turnips !  As  the  turnips  were  ready 
to  be  gathered,  it  was  decided  that  the  crop  should 
be  pulled  up  and  this  place  prepared  for  the  tents. 

One  day  we  went  out  into  the  turnip  field,  and  the 
Empress  Dowager  herself  pulled  the  first  turnip ;  then  y 
the  Empress  and  all  the  Princesses  pulled  some,  and 
when  they  found  a  curiously  shaped  one,  it  was  given 
to  Her  Majesty.  It  was  a  strange  sight  to  see  the 
Great  Empress  Dowager,  sitting  there  at  the  side  of  the 
field,  on  her  yellow  camp-stool,  smiling  and  interested, 
with  the  turnips  piled  around  her,  and  the  gaily 
dressed  Empress  and  Princesses  in  their  silken  gowns 
flitting  in  and  out  of  the  field,  apparently  enjoying,  to 
its  utmost,  the  simple  task  of  pulling  these  prosaic 
vegetables.  The  eunuchs  and  attendants  stood  in 
crowds  around  to  take  the  turnips  when  pulled.  They 
were  not  allowed,  however,  to  pull  any  themselves. 
When  a  small  square  was  denuded,  Her  Majesty 
and  the  Ladies  returned  to  the  Palace,  and  an  army 
of  workmen  came  and  pulled  up  the  whole  field  and 
began  to  prepare  the  ground  for  the  circus  tents. 

As  the  performance  of  the  circus  was  to  be  on  the 
first  day  of  the  month,  the  Imperial  players  were  at 
the  Theater.  When  the  morning  Audience  was  fin- 
ished, Their  Majesties  and  the  Empress  and  Ladies 
went  to  the  Theater  and  listened  to  two  or  three  plays. 
After  luncheon,  taken  in  the  Imperial  loge,  Their  Maj- 

I79 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

esties  started  for  the  landing-place,  followed  by  the 
young  Empress  and  Ladies.  The  lake  was  gay  with 
beautiful  barges,  great  house-boats,  and  numbers  of 
flat  boats  for  the  eunuchs.  The  barges  and  house- 
boats were  picturesquely  decorated  with  flying  ban- 
ners, pennants,  and  tasseled  wands.  Two  steam- 
launches,  puffing  away,  gave  an  air  of  modernity  to 
this  most  Oriental  fleet.  One  of  the  steam-launches 
was  splendidly  decorated  with  yellow  banners,  with 
gorgeous  yellow  silk  scarfs  festooned  around  the  cabin 
and  the  Imperial  flag  flying  above  it.  The  Empress 
Dowager  and  the  Emperor  descended  the  marble  steps 
to  this  gaily  decked  launch,  and  started  off  alone 
for  the  other  end  of  the  lake,  the  Imperial  banners 
and  colors  flying. 

The  Empress  and  Princesses  went  in  the  Empress's 
State  boat;  the  visiting  ladies  followed  in  another 
of  these  ponderous  but  picturesque  affairs.  In  size 
they  are  as  large  as  an  ordinary  Chinese  pavilion. 
The  Empress's  cabin  was  carpeted  and  splendidly  up- 
holstered in  cloth  of  gold,  with  the  usual  tea-tables 
and  lounges.  It  had  one  of  those  gallery-like  prows 
with  silken  awnings,  where  the  Princesses  stood. 
The  young  Empress  sat  within,  on  one  of  the  gold- 
covered  couches.  As  she  had  been  brought  up  with 
several  of  the  Princesses  as  playmates,  the  young 
Empress  generally  waived  ceremony  with  them ;  but 
she  knew  how,  when  necessary,  to  maintain  a  sweet 
dignity  that  was  charming  and  perfectly  in  accord 
with  her  exalted  position.  To-day  was  a  State  occa- 
sion. She  sat  alone,  and  the  Ladies  remained  outside 
on  the  prow.  She  asked  me  to  come  in  and  showed 

180 


A  European  Circus  at  the  Palace 

me  the  interior  and  some  of  the  curiously  inlaid  tables. 
She  knew  I  was  interested  in  all  these  things.  She 
made  me  sit  at  her  side,  and  when  I  demurred  she  said 
she  knew  it  was  not  the  foreign  custom  to  sit  on  cush- 
ions on  the  floor,  as  was  the  habit  of  the  Ladies  when 
in  her  presence,  and  that  I  must  sit  beside  her.  This 
was  the  consideration  they  always  showed  me  at  the 
Palace,  which  I  fully  realized  was  not  due  to  any  spe- 
cial liking  for  me,  but  simply  to  their  exquisite  breed- 
ing—their desire  to  make  me  feel  comfortable  and  at 
home. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  the  Em- 
press and  Ladies  stood  while  Their  Majesties  landed. 
They  were  welcomed  by  a  great  burst  of  music  from 
the  bands.  A  number  of  Princes  and  Officials  stood 
waiting  to  receive  them  and  conduct  them  to  the  hand- 
some loges  that  had  been  prepared  for  them. 

It  was  a  picturesque  procession  that  started  from 
the  landing-place— the  Empress  Dowager  and  the  Em- 
peror, under  the  big,  embroidered,  yellow  silk,  State 
umbrellas,  preceded  and  surrounded  by  gorgeously 
attired  attendants  and  splendidly  gowned  officials,  the 
young  Empress  and  Ladies,  in  gala  attire,  following 
after,  with  their  eunuchs  and  attendants.  The  day  was 
perfect,  and  glorious  sunshine  added  to  the  brilliant 
effect.  The  side  of  the  tent  toward  the  Imperial  loges 
was  open.  There  was  a  railed  platform  before  the  pavil- 
ions that  had  been  erected  as  "loges."  These  pavilions 
were  luxuriously  fitted  up :  Their  Majesties'  loges  were 
hung  with  the  Imperial  yellow.  A  yellow  satin  chair 
(with  a  smaller  one  at  its  left)  was  placed  in  the  center 
of  the  raised  platform,  under  the  silken  awning,  and 

181 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Their  Majesties  could  sit  here  or  within  as  they  chose. 
The  Empress  and  Ladies  stood  in  groups  on  either  side 
of  this  platform. 

About  two  hundred  officials  had  been  invited  to  see 
the  circus,  and,  contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  there 
was  no  screen  between  them  and  the  Imperial  party. 
On  the  right  were  two  bands  of  foreign  music, 
or  rather  of  Chinese  musicians  who  played  foreign 
music  on  European  instruments.  These  were  the 
bands  of  Yuan-Shih-Kai,  Viceroy  of  Tientsin,  and  of 
Sir  Robert  Hart,  the  Inspector-General  of  Imperial 
Customs.  Sir  Robert's  band  was  formed  about 
eighteen  years  since,  when,  as  music  is  his  hobby,  he 
decided  to  try  to  have  some  Chinese  taught  Euro- 
pean music  on  European  instruments.  He  has  now  a 
well-equipped  band  of  twenty  trained  Chinese  musi- 
cians under  a  competent  European  conductor.  They 
play  on  both  brass  and  stringed  instruments.  His 
efforts  have  been  so  successful  that  his  example  has 
lately  been  followed  by  several  high  Chinese  Officials, 
first  among  whom  was  Yuan-Shih-Kai.  The  latter's 
band  is  military,  with  fifty  musicians,  who  play  only 
on  brass  instruments.  The  two  bands  played  alter- 
nately during  the  intervals  of  the  performance. 

For  the  first  time  during  my  residence  at  the  Pal- 
ace, I  now  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  Imperial 
Princes  and  many  of  the  great  nobles  and  officials. 
Though  they  were  often  asked  to  the  Theater  at  the 
Palace,  the  screen  between  them  and  the  Imperial  loge 
was  never  removed,  except  at  the  end  of  the  perform- 
ance, when  they  bowed  their  thanks  and  when  the 
Ladies  retired  to  their  own  loge.  The  gentlemen, 

182 


A  European  Circus  at  the  Palace 

however,  could  be  well  seen  at  the  circus ;  and  though 
the  Chinese  Ladies  did  not  glance  in  their  direction,  I 
took  advantage  of  being  a  foreigner,  and  when  I  was 
behind  the  others,  and  could  do  so  without  being  seen, 
I  closely  scanned  their  faces  and  attire.  Several  of  the 
Princes  of  the  Imperial  Family  came  up  to  the  plat- 
form where  Their  Majesties  sat  and  made  their  bows 
to  them,  afterward  slightly  saluting  their  relations 
among  the  Ladies  and  Princesses. 

Among  these  young  Princes  at  the  circus  was  a  son 
of  Prince  Kung  and  an  adopted  son  of  the  Imperial 
Princess.  This  young  man  not  only  had  a  remarkably 
fine  figure,  tall  and  slender,  with  broad  shoulders,  but 
his  face  was  very  handsome.  His  bow,  on  coming  up 
to  pay  his  respects  to  Their  Majesties,  was  as  graceful 
as  that  of  a  young  chevalier.  His  regard  was  so  in- 
genuous, his  expression  so  clever  and  withal  so  mod- 
est, his  whole  demeanor  so  gracious,  I  was  much 
struck  with  him.  His  dress  was  elegant,  and  his 
jewels  chosen  with  discretion.  There  was  none  of  that 
overloading  of  belt  ornamentation  that  the  young 
dandies  of  the  Imperial  set  were  then  affecting.  His 
father  was  one  of  the  great  Princes  of  China,  and  if 
this  young  man  develops  and  carries  out  the  promise  of 
his  youth  (he  was  then  only  seventeen),  I  fancy  he  will 
be  heard  of  also.  Like  most  of  the  young  Manchu 
Princes,  he  held  a  position  in  the  Imperial  household, 
such  as  Master  of  the  Horse  or  Captain  of  the  Archers. 

It  was  not  much  of  a  circus,  but  none  of  the  Imperial 
party  had  ever  seen  one  before,  and  the  setting  was 
so  gorgeous,  it  was  unique  as  a  circus  performance 
even  to  me.  The  Empress  Dowager  and  the  Emperor 

183 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

had  splendidly  jeweled  opera-glasses,  which  a  eunuch 
held  ready  for  their  use.  The  Emperor,  disliking  to  be 
looked  at,  held  his  own  glasses  before  his  face  most  of 
the  time.  It  seemed  to  me  he  used  them  principally 
for  the  purpose  of  screening  himself.  The  animals 
pleased  both  Their  Majesties ;  but  aside  from  the  dwarfs, 
of  which  there  were  two,  the  rest  of  the  performers 
seemed  to  have  but  a  mediocre  interest  for  them. 
Her  Majesty  was  particularly  interested  in  the  dogs 
and  trained  animals,  and  His  Majesty  in  the  horses 
and  fancy  riding.  I  was  standing  near  him,  and  he 
looked  keenly  at  me  several  times  to  see  how  the  per- 
formance struck  me;  and  one  of  his  head  eunuchs 
asked  me  in  English— the  Emperor  would  not  try  it— 
whether  I  thought  it  was  "  good  or  bad."  Their  Majes- 
ties sat  through  the  performance,  the  Empress  Dowa- 
ger only  retiring  to  her  loge  once  during  the  time,  which 
was  while  one  of  the  summarily  clad  young  ladies  was 
gyrating  on  a  trapeze.  There  was  a  magnificent  tigress 
which  the  circus  master  had  trained,  and  which  was  his 
"  piece  de  resistance."  The  Empress  Dowager  would 
not  allow  this  to  be  taken  out  of  its  cage,  and  though 
it  was  brought  out  in  front  of  the  Imperial  platform, 
it  was  too  cat-like  to  interest  her.  She  has  a  great 
antipathy  to  anything  feline.  When  the  performance 
was  finished,  the  Imperial  party  left  in  the  same  state 
in  which  it  had  arrived,  Their  Majesties  accompanied 
to  the  launch  by  the  Princes  and  high  Officials,  the 
music  of  the  two  bands  playing  simultaneously.  The 
Ladies  of  the  Palace  and  Their  Majesties,  themselves, 
have  so  little  novelty  in  their  lives,  I  think,  on  the  whole, 
the  innovation  of  the  circus  was  generally  appreciated. 

184 


CHAPTER  XXII 

PALACE  CUSTOMS 

FT1HE  Empress  Dowager  is  an  early  riser,  but  the 
JL  joint  Audiences  which  Their  Majesties  now  hold 
are  never  at  the  extraordinary  hours  in  vogue  when 
His  Majesty  ruled  alone.  When  there  is  a  press  of 
business,  and  many  heads  of  departments  to  be  seen, 
the  Audiences  begin  very  early,  but  they  rarely  extend 
past  eleven  o'clock— the  usual  hours  being  from  half- 
past  seven  to  eleven. 

When  the  Empress  Dowager  sleeps,  a  maid  watches 
in  her  room,  two  eunuchs  stand  on  guard  in  the  ante- 
chamber to  the  room,  four  watch  at  the  door  of  the  ante- 
chamber, and  her  body-guard  of  eunuchs  fill  the  build- 
ing where  her  private  apartments  are  situated.  The 
maid  and  eunuchs  who  watch  in  the  night  are  changed 
every  second  day.  Only  the  High  Eunuchs  are  in- 
trusted with  the  duty  of  guarding  her  bed-chamber 
and  Throne-room.  At  the  Summer  Palace,  Her 
Majesty's  bedroom  is  not  more  than  fifteen  feet 
square ;  the  bed,  like  all  in  North  China,  is  built  into 
an  alcove  in  the  room.  Shelves  run  around  the  three 
inclosed  sides  of  the  alcove,  and  on  these  are  placed 
Her  Majesty's  favorite  ornaments— small  jade  curios  '/ 
books,  and,  of  course,  clocks.  In  this  bedroom  I 

185 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

counted  fifteen  timepieces  on  the  bed  shelves,  and 
all  running.  Their  ticking  and  striking,  not  at  all 
simultaneous,  was  enough  to  run  a  nervous  European 
woman  wild;  but  Her  Majesty  takes  so  much  out- 
door exercise,  she  seemed  to  have  no  nerves.  There 
were  no  flowers  in  her  bedroom,  but  the  ante-chamber, 
leading  into  it,  was  always  full  of  flowers,  pyramids  of 
apples,  and  "  Buddha's  hands."1  The  bed  alcove  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  room  by  satin  curtains,  suspended  from 
a  handsomely  embroidered  valance,  with  two  long 
embroidered  bands  to  loop  them  back. 

Her  Majesty  is  a  light  and  irregular  sleeper.  When 
she  wakes  and  finds  it  impossible  to  go  to  sleep  again, 
she  rises,  is  dressed,  and  often  goes  for  a  walk  in  the 
grounds,  at  what  we  would  call  the  most  unseasonable 
of  hours.  She  says  Nature  is  beautiful  at  every  hour 
of  the  twenty-four,  with  a  different  charm  for  each 
moment.  As  she  loves  it  in  all  its  phases,  she  likes 
to  see  it  at  every  hour  of  the  twenty-four,  at  least 
once  a  year !  When  she  wakes  and  goes  for  a  walk 
at  night,  the  eunuchs  who  are  on  duty  in  her  Palace 
accompany  her  with  lanterns,  but  she  never  takes  these 
night  walks,  except  by  moonlight,  and  when  the  night 
is  beautiful. 

Whether  she  has  slept  well  or  ill,  she  rises  at  six 
o'clock ;  for  the  morning  is  devoted  to  business,  and  she 
never  misses  an  Audience.  On  rising,  she  takes  a  bowl 
of  hot  milk,  or  lotus-root  porridge ;  then  her  maids  and 
tiring-women  begin  her  toilet  for  the  Audience.  This 
is  the  "  grande  toilette  "  for  the  day,  for  full  dress  is 
worn  by  the  Chinese  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening 
they  wear  simple  gowns.  When  her  toilet  is  finished, 

1 86 


Palace  Customs 

the  young  Empress  and  Ladies,  having  "  assisted " 
(from  without)  at  her  "  lever,"  she  comes  out  into  the 
Throne-room  and  receives  their  morning  greeting. 
The  Emperor  then  comes  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
Great  Ancestress,  and  together  they  go  in  State,  ac- 
companied by  all  the  Ladies  of  the  Court,  to  the  Great 
Audience  Hall.  The  Ladies  of  the  Court  remain  out- 
side the  Great  Hall  until  the  Audience  is  finished, 
when  they  accompany  Her  Majesty  to  her  Throne- 
room.  The  business  of  the  day  is  then  over.  Her 
Majesty  lays  aside  her  robes  of  State  and  gives  herself 
up  to  duties  connected  with  the  Palace. 

While  I  was  painting  the  portraits,  she  would  pose 
on  returning  from  the  Audience ;  or,  if  the  Audience 
had  been  too  tiring,  she  would  first  go  for  a  walk. 
Then  would  begin  her  various  self-imposed  household 
duties.  She  would  overlook  the  baskets  of  flowers 
and  fruits  sent  into  the  Palace  daily,  select  some  to 
be  sent  as  presents,  and  send  others  to  the  eunuchs 
of  the  kitchen  to  be  cooked.  Then  she  would  look  at 
new  rolls  of  silk,  just  arrived  from  the  Imperial  looms, 
or  examine  new  articles  of  toilet,  fresh  from  the  work- 
shops of  the  Palace  tailors.  Sometimes  she  would 
play  a  game,  of  which  she  seemed  very  fond,  and  of 
which  I  know  no  counterpart.  It  was  played  on  a  large 
square  board,covered  with  white  silk  and  painted  in  fan- 
tastic designs,  representing  the  Earth  and  Fairyland. 
The  object  of  the  game  was  to  get  an  ivory  chessman, 
representing  "man,"  into  Fairyland.  The  length  of 
the  move  was  decided  by  throwing  dice.  There  was 
no  box  for  throwing  the  dice :  they  were  taken  in  the 
hands  and  thrown  into  a  jade  bowl.  The  numbers 

187 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

uppermost  were  then  counted  and  the  move  made. 
She  would  play  this  game  with  the  Princesses ;  and 
sometimes  two  of  the  High  Eunuchs,  who  were  profi- 
cient, would  be  called  in  to  make  out  the  number.  The 
game  was  played  for  money,  but,  if  Her  Majesty  won, 
the  others  did  not  pay.  If,  however,  they  won,  she 
paid,  and  at  once.  She  was  ever  a  cheerful  giver.  She 
had  wonderful  luck,  and  it  was  a  rare  occurrence  for 
the  others  to  win.  I  only  happened  to  see  it  three 
times.  The  Princesses  were  always  pleased  to  play 
this  game,  for  they  had  a  chance  of  winning  and  they 
never  lost.  One  day  I  saw  her  get  quite  angry  with 
one  of  the  Ladies  playing.  This  Lady  could  not  bear 
to  lose,  and  would  get  sulky  and  cross  if  she  did. 
This  annoyed  Her  Majesty,  until  finally  she  reproved 
her  sharply.  She  asked  her  why  she  played  a  game  if 
she  were  not  willing  to  take  her  chances  as  they 
came,  and  meet  loss  or  gain  with  equal  equanimity. 

The  Empress  Dowager  only  eats  two  solid  meals  a 
day— luncheon  and  dinner.  These  were  exactly  sim- 
ilar. The  dishes,  so  far  as  I  could  see,  were  identical ; 
but  they  were  so  numerous,  and  of  such  variety,  one 
could  make  a  change  of  menu  by  eating  different 
dishes.  The  hours  of  these  two  meals  were  very  ir- 
regular; in  fact,  Her  Majesty  had  no  fixed  hour  for 
anything  except  rising  and  attendance  at  the  Audience 
Hall.  "  Early  rice,"  as  the  Chinese  call  luncheon,  was 
served  the  Empress  Dowager  at  any  time  between 
half -past  ten  and  half -past  twelve.  She  was  likely  to 
order  it  at  any  hour  after  she  returned  from  the  Au- 
dience. "  Late  rice,"  or  dinner,  was  ordered  with  the 
same  irregularity.  She  was  very  fond  of  nuts  and 

188 


PRINCESSES  OK  THE  COURT 


Palace  Customs 

fruits,  and  ate  them  between  meals,  when  she  drank 
tea,  hot  milk,  and  certain  fruit  juices. 

The  young  Empress  and  Ladies  of  the  Court  were 
not  bound  to  these  irregular  hours.  They  ordered 
their  meals  in  their  own  pavilions  at  the  hours  they 
wished.  Sometimes  they  had  but  just  finished  their 
own  meals,  when  the  Empress  Dowager  would  order 
hers,  and,  when  she  had  finished,  invite  them  to  eat  at 
her  table.  Then  it  would  be  a  matter  of  etiquette  to 
eat  with,  at  least  apparent,  relish.  At  this  meal  at  Her 
Majesty's  table,  her  place  remained  vacant.  When  I 
was  in  the  Palace  and  we  were  invited  to  eat  at  her 
table,  the  Ladies  sat ;  but  when  I  was  not  there,  the 
Ladies  stood  to  eat,  if  she  were  still  in  the  building, 
thus  observing  a  very  old  convention.  The  Empress 
Dowager  was  very  rigid  about  the  observance  of  all  v 
traditional  customs,  and  a  stickler  for  Court  etiquette, 
but  she  was  also  very  considerate  of  the  Ladies.  When 
she  had  eaten,  she  would  leave  her  Throne-room,  or 
would  conceal  herself  behind  some  screen,  so  that  they 
might  sit  and  eat  in  peace.  I  have  seen  her  return  to 
the  Throne-room  while  the  Ladies  were  eating,  but  she 
would  do  it  stealthily,  not  allowing  the  eunuchs  to 
precede  her,  so  that  the  Ladies  might  not  be  obliged 
to  rise  on  her  entrance. 

When  the  Empress  Dowager  dined,  she  sat  at  the 
head  of  a  long  table  absolutely  groaning  under  the 
many  dishes  placed  thereon.  Huge  silver  platters 
stood  on  side  tables  with  sucking-pig,  steamed  goose, 
whole  fowls,  etc.  Before  serving  the  latter,  they  were 
brought  to  her  to  look  at,  just  as  the  butler,  in  Europe, 
shows  the  pheasant  and  set  dishes  to  the  mistress 

189 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

of  the  house.  Her  dishes  were  of  yellow  porcelain, 
with  curiously  chased  silver  covers  of  pyramidal 
shape  and  quaint  design.  When  she  arose  to  go  to 
the  table,  a  eunuch  standing  near  would  shout, 
"Remove  the  covers,"  the  word  would  be  repeated 
along  the  line  of  waiting  eunuchs,  who  would  spring 
forward  and  whip  off  the  covers  of  the  many  dishes 
on  the  table  as  if  by  magic.  At  Her  Majesty's  place 
were  two  spoons,  a  saucer  and  bowl,  a  pair  of  chop- 
sticks, and  a  small  folded  square  of  soft  cloth,  cor- 
responding to  our  napkin.  When  she  sat  down,  she 
attached  to  the  front  of  her  dress,  by  a  quaint,  golden 
pin,  a  large  silken  napkin,— for  she  was  immacu- 
lately neat  and  had  a  horror  of  a  spot  on  her  clothes. 
She  was  an  epicure  and  thoroughly  appreciated  any 
new  dish  the  Palace  cooks  sent  forth,  and,  like  all 
epicures,  she  ate  very  slowly  and  seemed  to  enjoy  her 
food.  She  never  drank  wine  or  anything  else  at 
meals.  I  only  saw  her  drink  wine  on  two  occasions, 
when  some  new  vintages  had  been  received  at  the 
Palace,  and  then  it  seemed  more  to  judge  of  their 
merits,  as  a  connoisseur,  than  anything  else.  When 
V  she  finished  her  meal  and  left  the  table,  the  eunuchs 
brought  hot  cloths  for  her  hands  and  a  golden 
"  rince-bouche."  After  this,  one  of  the  maids  would 
bring  her  a  silver  basin,  soap,  and  towels,  and  she 
would  indulge  in  an  elaborate  hand-washing. 

After  "Early  rice"  came  the  hour  of  her  siesta. 
She  would  retire  to  her  bedroom,  and  her  reader, 
bringing  several  volumes  from  which  to  choose,  would 
come  to  read  to  her.  She  would  remain  in  her  room 
for  an  hour  and  a  half,  whether  sleeping  or  being 

190 


Palace  Customs 

read  to.  When  she  awoke,  she  would  make  another 
careful  toilet,  the  Ladies  would  join  her,  and  she 
would  go  for  a  long  walk  before  taking  "  Late  rice." 

On  the  first  and  fifteenth  of  the  month,  the  Impe- 
rial players  were  at  the  Theater.  On  these  days,  the 
Emperor,  instead  of  returning  to  his  own  Palace, 
would  accompany  the  Empress  Dowager  and  the  La- 
dies from  the  Audience  Hall  to  the  Theater.  The 
Imperial  Hymn  was  played  on  Their  Majesties'  en- 
trance into  the  court  of  the  Theater,  and  when  they 
had  entered  the  Imperial  loge,  the  players  would  come 
in  a  body  on  the  stage  and  "kow-tow."  Then  the 
actors,  splendidly  gowned,  would  make  the  customary 
wishes  for  the  Imperial  Peace,  Prosperity,  Longevity, 
after  which  there  would  be  a  posture-play  in  costume, 
and  then  the  plays  for  the  day  would  begin.  On  The- 
ater days  Their  Majesties  would  lunch  and  dine  to- 
gether in  the  Imperial  loge.  They  did  not  sit  at  the 
ends  of  the  great  table,  but  at  right  angles  to  each 
other— the  Emperor  at  the  head  of  the  table,  and 
the  Empress  Dowager  at  his  left.  His  Majesty  was 
not  much  of  an  epicure.  He  ate  fast,  and  apparently 
did  not  care  what  it  was.  When  he  finished,  he 
would  stand  up  near  Her  Majesty,  or  walk  around 
the  Throne-room  until  she  had  finished. 

The  Empress  Dowager  was  very  rigorous  in  the 
observance  of  all  fasts,  as  well  as  feasts,  prescribed 
by  the  rites.  On  fast-days,  no  meat  nor  fish  was  eaten 
at  her  table.  The  meals  consisted  entirely  of  vege- 
tables, bread,  and  rice ;  but  there  was  always  a  great 
variety  of  these  dishes,  and  they  were  temptingly 
prepared.  Meat  dishes  and  fish  were  always  prepared 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

for  me  when  I  was  invited  to  eat  at  the  Imperial  table 
on  fast-days,  until  I  learned  that  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager and  the  Ladies  were  fasting,  when  I  asked  to  eat 
only  what  was  prepared  for  them  when  I  dined  with 
them  at  Her  Majesty's  table. 

On  Festivals  and  Theater  days,  Princesses  of  the 
Imperial  Family,  wives  of  Manchu  Nobles,  and  high 
Officials  were  invited  to  spend  the  day  at  the  Palace. 
Sometimes  their  children  would  accompany  them, 
little  girls  and  boys  under  twelve.  I  never  saw  a 
boy  over  seventeen  in  the  Palace;  and  only  once, 
one  sixteen  years  old.  This  was  a  son  of  Prince 
Ching.  When  these  young  people  came  to  the  Court, 
they  observed  the  same  rules  of  etiquette  as  their 
elders,  and  behaved  with  great  decorum.  Her  Maj- 
esty is  very  fond  of  children,  but  very  particular  as 
to  their  manners.  When  a  little  girl  did  not  make  a 
graceful  bow,  Her  Majesty  would  not  correct  her,  but 
would  ask  the  young  Empress,  an  authority  on  eti- 
quette and  very  graceful,  to  bow.  Her  Majesty  would 
then  tell  the  little  girl  to  notice  how  the  Empress 
bowed  and  try  to  do  it  in  that  manner.  The  child,  or 
her  parents,  generally  followed  this  suggestion,  and 
the  grace  of  the  bow  was  improved  on  the  next  visit 
to  Court ! 

On  one  occasion,  a  lady  of  high  rank,  married  to  a 
kinsman  of  the  Empress  Dowager,  was  invited  to  the 
Palace  with  her  family.  She  had  two  little  girls,  and 
when  the  family  went  up  to  bow  and  repeat  the  salu- 
tation to  Her  Majesty,  the  younger  daughter,  only 
five  years  old,  refused  either  to  make  the  bow  or  re- 
peat the  salutation,  but  sat  down  on  the  floor  and 

192 


Palace  Customs 

cried !  The  Empress  Dowager  waited  patiently  for 
the  mother  to  correct  the  little  girl,  for  she  is  very 
fond  of  children  and  disposed  to  condone  their  faults. 
The  little  girl  would  not,  however,  listen  to  reason  and 
continued  to  show  temper.  Her  Majesty  could  not 
allow  such  a  breach  of  the  "  Proprieties,"  even  in  a 
child  of  this  age,  and  the  high  rank  of  the  family  of 
the  little  girl  made  it  the  more  imperative  that  she 
should  conform  to  the  rules  of  Propriety  and  observe 
the  etiquette  of  the  Court.  When  Her  Majesty  saw 
that  all  efforts  at  bringing  her  to  reason  were  fruit- 
less, she  ordered  the  child  to  be  taken  away.  Where- 
upon the  mother  began  crying,  and  begged  her  not  to 
be  offended  with  the  little  girl.  She  replied,  "  Do  you 
think  a  person  of  superior  intelligence  could  be  of- 
fended with  a  baby  ?  I  send  you  out  of  the  Palace  to 
teach  you  a  lesson,  which  you  must  teach  your  child. 
I  do  not  blame  her;  I  blame  you  and  pity  her;  but 
she  must  suffer  as  well  as  yourself.  You  must  teach 
your  child  that '  it  is  by  the  rules  of  propriety  that  the 
character  is  established '  (Confucius) " ;  and  she  was 
inexorable.  The  family  left  the  Palace  and  was  not 
invited  again  for  some  time. 


i  "  Buddha's  hand,"  a  very  fragrant  fruit  of  the  family  of  lemons, 
which  is  shaped  like  a  hand,  with  long,  curving  fingers.  Pyramids  of 
this  fruit  are  used  for  their  perfume. 


193 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

HER  MAJESTY'S  ANXIETY— HER  BIRTHDAY 

HER  Majesty  was  looking  tired  and  anxious  these 
days  j  the  Audiences  were  unusually  long,  and 
despatches  were  arriving  all  during  the  day.  She 
would  often  go  to  the  Gardens  immediately  after  her 
Audience  for  solitary  walks,  unattended  by  the  Ladies, 
and  when  she  went  out  for  the  walk,  accompanied  by 
the  Empress  and  Princesses,  she  would  sit  distraught 
and  abstracted  before  the  finest  views  and  those  she 
loved  most.  She  seemed  absent-minded,  and  when 
some  eunuch  with  the  official  message  would  kneel 
before  her,  awaiting  her  order  to  deliver  his  message, 
she  would  recall  herself  with  an  effort.  One  day  when 
we  were  out,  after  days  of  this  anxiety,  and  she  was 
sitting  alone  in  front  of  the  "  Peony  Mountain,"  the 
Empress  and  Princesses  standing  in  a  group  at  a  lit- 
tle distance,  she  looked  a  pathetic  figure.  Her  strong 
face  looked  tired  and  worn.  Her  arms  hung  listlessly 
by  her  sides  and  she  seemed  almost  to  have  given  up, 
and  I  saw  her,  furtively,  brush  a  tear  away.  The 
days  were  so  like  each  other  at  the  Palace,  the  Chi- 
nese dates  being  different  from  ours,  I  lost  my  reckon- 
ing until  I  had  a  Tientsin  paper,  and  I  saw  that  the 
date  on  which  the  Russians  had  promised  to  evacuate 

194 


Her  Majesty's  Anxiety 

Manchuria  had  passed  and  they  were  making  no  move 
toward  doing  so ;  and  that  there  were  rumors  of  war 
between  Japan  and  Russia.  This,  then,  must  be  what 
was  weighing  upon  the  mind  of  the  Empress  Dowager. 
A  few  days  later  a  telegram  was  handed  her  in  the 
Throne-room  while  she  was  posing,  that  seemed  to 
greatly  agitate  her.  It  was  from  Kwang  Hsi,  and 
reported  the  ineffectual  attempts  of  the  authorities  to 
put  down  a  serious  rebellion  there.  Thus,  there  were 
interior  as  well  as  exterior  troubles  to  make  her  anx- 
ious. She  seemed  to  take  these  State  troubles  to 
heart ;  and  it  was  touching  to  see  her  anxiety,  which 
she  made  but  little  effort  to  conceal  when  sur- 
rounded only  by  the  Ladies.  The  Emperor,  on  the 
contrary,  preserved  his  usual  calm  exterior,  and  if  he 
was  racked  by  anxiety,  showed  no  evidence  of  it.  This 
may  have  been  because  he  had  schooled  himself  to 
hide  his  feelings.  Be  that  as  it  may,  his  face  had  al- 
ways that  enigmatic  smile  lurking  around  the  corners 
of  his  mouth.  I  fancied,  though,  his  eyes  looked  more 
resigned  and  sadder  than  usual. 

The  date  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  Birthday  (No- 
vember 16)  was  approaching,  and  preparations  to  cele- 
brate it  were  beginning.  She  was  determined  to  keep 
this  celebration  very  simple.  She  issued  edicts  pro- 
hibiting the  high  Officials  and  Viceroys  from  sending 
the  extravagant  presents  which  always  pour  in  at  the 
celebration  of  the  birthday  of  any  one  of  her  age  in 
China.  She  recommended  great  economy  in  expendi- 
tures for  the  celebration,  saying  it  would  be  improper 
and  unworthy  at  this  time  of  National  distress,  when 
the  Foreign  Indemnity  was  not  yet  paid,  to  make  a 

195 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

large  outlay  for  her  Birthday.  The  celebration  of  a 
birthday  in  China  is  a  great  event,  almost  a  religious 
ceremony,  and  is  observed  with  great  rejoicings  by 
all  classes.  The  poorest  in  the  land,  if  they  are  not 
able  to  keep  any  other  festival,  always  celebrate  with 
as  much  pomp  as  possible  the  birthdays  of  their  pa- 
rents. This  is  one  of  the  duties  enjoined  by  the  Book 
of  Rites,  and,  in  spite  of  Her  Majesty's  expressed 
wishes  on  the  subject,  the  Emperor  could  not  allow 
her  Birthday  to  pass  without  a  fitting  celebration. 

The  Emperor  beseeched  Her  Majesty  "  on  bended 
knee  "  to  allow  him  to  have  her  Birthday  celebrated 
with  the  same  pomp  as  usual— to  permit  him  to  add 
another  honorific  title  to  the  sixteen  she  already  pos- 
sessed—but though  she  was  very  proud  of  her  titles, 
which  the  Ministers  and  Emperor  had  conferred  upon 
her  at  different  times,  she  was  inexorable  on  this  point, 
for  the  adding  of  a  new  title  would  necessitate  an'an- 
nual  grant  of  twelve  thousand  dollars  in  gold.  She 
also  insisted  that  everything  must  be  on  a  smaller 
scale  than  usual.  She  was,  one  could  well  see,  in  no 
happy  frame  of  mind.  There  was  none  of  the  enthu- 
siasm she  had  shown  over  the  preparations  for  the  Em- 
peror's Birthday.  Then  she  was  in  gay  good  humor. 
She  then  evidently  fully  believed  that  things  were  go- 
ing well  for  the  State,  that  China  would  soon  obtain 
her  full  rights  in  Manchuria  again ;  then  everything 
seemed  brighter  for  the  Nation's  outlook  than  now. 
It  was  her  duty,  however,  to  go  through  these  Birth- 
day celebrations,  which,  curtail  as  she  would,  must, 
nevertheless,  be  very  elaborate,  owing  to  her  age  as 
well  as  to  her  high  rank.  The  Empress  Dowager's 

196 


Her  Majesty's  Birthday 

wishes  as  to  the  adding  of  a  new  title  were  observed, 
and  it  was  not  conferred,  but  the  preparations  for  the 
Birthday  went  on,  on  a  magnificent  scale.  Presents 
came  pouring  into  the  Palace,  and  even  more  elabo- 
rate festive  decorations  than  those  used  for  the  Em- 
peror's Birthday  were  being  put  in  place. 

Her  Majesty  was  to  receive  the  prostrations  of  the 
Emperor  and  Empress,1  Princesses,  and  members  of 
the  Imperial  Family,  on  a  Throne  in  the  Palace,  that 
was  built  half-way  up  the  terraced  hill  crowned  by 
the  Temple  of  Ten  Thousand  Buddhas.  She  did  not 
receive  these  prostrations  in  the  Great  Audience  Hall : 
this  was  set  aside,  by  tradition,  for  the  Emperor,  alone. 
Had  she  been  reigning  for  him,  she  would  have  received 
them  there,  but  as  she  was  reigning  with  him,  she  re- 
ceived them  in  the  other  Palace.  The  elevation  of  this 
Palace  permitted  all  who  were  allowed  to  enter  the 
Precincts  to  offer  their  congratulations,  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  Her  Majesty.  As  the  weather  was  getting 
cold,  the  marble  steps  leading  up  to  this  Palace,  the 
courts,  and  even  a  large  part  of  the  terrace  over  th6 
lake,  were  covered  with  carpets  of  gala  red. 

The  congratulations  and  prostrations  were  to  begin 
at  2  A.M.,  the  hour  of  her  birth.  There  were  three  pairs 
of  huge  silver  candelabra  standing  at  either  side  of  the 
Throne  to  hold  the  enormous  wax  candles  of  Imperial 
yellow,  entwined  with  golden  dragons,  which  weighed 
fifty  pounds  each.  They  stood  five  feet  high.  Lanterns 
with  the  ever-present  character  "  Sho  "  and  others  in- 
scribed "  Wan-Sho-Wu-Chiang  "  (no  limit  to  Imperial 
longevity)  stood  on  each  step  of  the  long  flight  leading 
up  to  the  Palace.  The  whole  terrace  below,  all  the 

I97 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

temples  and  buildings  in  the  grounds,  were  brilliantly 
illuminated  with  splendid  lanterns,  elaborately  orna- 
mented with  tassels  of  red  silk,  with  the  characters 
for  longevity  emblazoned  thereon  in  vermilion. 

With  the  few  changes  necessitated  by  the  different 
season  of  the  year  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  Birth- 
day, everything  was  carried  out  as  for  the  Emperor's 
except  on  a  larger  scale,  as  she  was  celebrating  more 
years  than  His  Majesty.  The  Palace  was  filled  to  over- 
flowing with  the  many  ladies  invited  to  be  present. 
Some  came  from  the  heart  of  distant  Manchuria,  the 
cradle  of  the  Dynasty.  The  winter  Court  dress  of  the 
ladies,  worn  for  Her  Majesty's  Birthday,  was  of  satin, 
lined  and  trimmed  with  fur,  with  sable  collars.  Like 
the  summer  Court  dress,  the  winter  gown  was  elabo- 
rately embroidered  in  the  golden  double  dragon.  The 
picturesque  summer  coiffure  had  also  been  replaced 
by  winter  hats  of  fur  with  jewels  across  the  front 
and  an  elaborate  crown,  studded  with  precious  stones. 
Brilliant  bunches  of  flowers  were  worn  on  either  side 
of  the  coiffure,  in  winter  as  in  summer. 

The  celebration  of  birthday  festivities  in  China  is 
always  accompanied  by  rites  and  worship  of  the  an- 
cestral tablets,  and  Her  Majesty  was  obliged  to  go  into 
Peking  several  times  during  the  celebration.  The  cere- 
monies, themselves,  were  also  very  tiring.  All  this 
effort  to  keep  up,  and  to  properly  carry  out  her  part 
of  the  ceremonies,  added  to  her  real  anxiety,  made  the 
forced  celebration  of  her  sixty-ninth  Birthday  far 
from  a  happy  event  to  the  Empress  Dowager  of  China, 
who  found  the  Empire  she  was  trying  to  guide,  in  so 
perilous  a  position— war  threatening  on  its  confines, 

IQ8 


Her  Majesty's  Birthday 

foreign  complications  of  all  kinds  to  deal  with,  and 
rebellion  within. 


i  It  has  been  said  by  foreigners,  that  Her  Majesty  the  Empress 
Dowager  obliges  the  Emperor  and  Empress  to  make  the  prostrations 
before  her  on  her  Birthday  as  an  indignity  to  them  and  to  show  her 
authority.  The  truth  is,  that  every  son  in  China  kneels  before  his 
parents  on  their  birthdays,  and  should  the  Emperor  fail  to  do  so,  the 
whole  of  China  would  be  horrified  and  cry  out  against  his  unfilial  con- 
duct. Her  Majesty  is  not  only  the  wife  of  his  uncle,  the  Emperor 
Hsien-Feng,  but  the  sister  of  his  mother,  and,  more  than  all  else,  the 
Empress  Dowager  is  the  Emperor's  adopted  mother.  The  duties  of 
an  adopted  child  to  his  adopted  parents  are  the  same,  in  China,  as  to 
his  own  parents.  In  the  Viceroy  Chang-Chih-Tung's  famous  ode  to 
the  Emperor,  he  speaks  of  this  filial  piety  as  one  of  the  Emperor's 
greatest  qualities:  "Who  does  not  admire  the  filial  reverence  and 
piety  with  which  he  waits  upon  his  august  mother?  Setting  a  brilliant 
example  to  all,  he  inquires  early  and  late  after  her  well-being  and 
watches  over  her  meals  in  person.  Let  us  now  add  a  new  ode,  extolling 
to  the  skies  our  Emperor's  fidelity  to  his  Imperial  mother." 


I99 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE    WINTER    PALACE 

THE  Summer  Palace  was  always  the  Empress 
Dowager's  favorite  Palace,  but  after  the  Boxer 
rising  and  the  subsequent  occupation  of  Peking  by 
the  Allies,  when  foreign  troops  were  stationed  in  both 
the  Peking  Palaces,  and  so  much  damage  done  them, 
she  would  have  preferred  to  have  lived  the  whole 
year  round  at  the  Summer  Palace.  As  it  is,  she  oc- 
cupies it  from  eight  to  nine  months  of  the  year,  going 
out  to  it  at  the  first  opportunity  in  the  spring,  and 
leaving  it  only  when  it  is  so  cold  as  to  make  it  im- 
practicable. There  is  a  system  of  heating  it  by 
furnaces  beneath  the  floors,  but  Her  Majesty  never 
used  these,  and  the  small  Chinese  porcelain  stoves, 
sorts  of  braziers,  were  quite  insufficient  for  heating 
the  immense  halls.  This,  however,  would  not  have 
influenced  her,  as  she  never  minded  the  cold,  but  it 
was  very  difficult  for  the  officials  to  take  the  long 
trip  to  the  Summer  Palace  during  the  winter,  and 
this  consideration  alone  caused  her  to  move  into 
the  Winter  Palace  when  the  weather  became  very 
cold.  The  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  the  Princes 
had  summer  homes  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
Palace,  but  there  were  thousands  of  officials  who  were 
obliged  to  come  out  every  day  from  Peking. 

2OO 


The  Winter  Palace 

The  time  had  now  come  for  the  Court  to  move  in 
definitively  to  the  Winter  Palace,  and  shortly  after 
the  Birthday  festivities,  Their  Majesties  took  up  their 
residence  in  the  Capital.  Before  I  left  the  Summer 
Palace,  the  young  Empress  suggested  that  I  should 
go  to  the  Winter  Palace  the  next  day  in  time  to  assist 
in  receiving  Her  Majesty  on  her  arrival  there,  for,  as 
usual,  I  left  the  Summer  Palace  the  day  before  the 
Court,  and  went  in  to  the  United  States  Legation. 
At  every  change  of  residence  of  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager, the  young  Empress,  Princesses,  and  Ladies  of 
the  Court  precede  her  by  a  few  hours,  and  stand  upon 
the  threshold  of  her  own  dwelling  Palace  to  receive 
her  when  she  arrives.  Full  Court  dress  is  worn  for 
this  reception,  and  it  is,  as  is  everything  touching  Her 
Majesty,  a  ceremony ! 

The  day  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  entrance  into 
her  loyal  City  of  Peking  for  the  winter,  in  December, 
1903,  was  a  typical  Peking  winter  day ;  the  air  was 
crisp  and  clear,  the  atmosphere  positively  sparkling, 
and  like  champagne.  One  seemed  to  breathe  an  elixir. 
For  her  "  progresses  "  from  one  Palace  to  another  the 
Empress  Dowager  always  had,  what  they  call  in  Eng- 
land, "  Queen's  weather." 

The  City  of  Peking  is  composed  of  three  walled 
towns— the  Chinese,  the  Tartar,  and  the  Imperial  City. 
Within  the  Imperial  City  lies  the  Winter  Palace,  its 
battlemented,  turreted  walls  surrounded  by  a  moat. 
After  passing  through  one  of  the  great  gates,  in  the 
wall  surrounding  the  Imperial  City,  and  crossing  the 
stone  bridge  that  spans  "  the  Grain-bearing  Canal," 
we  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  splendid  walls  and  lofty 

2OI 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

gates  of  the  Palace  inclosure.  The  red  outer  walls 
of  the  Palace,  faded  by  Time  and  weather  to  a  charm- 
ing gray-pink,  with  their  beautiful  corner  construc- 
tions of  airy-looking  turrets  reflected  in  the  still 
waters  of  the  moat  beneath,  were  most  picturesque. 
We  were  carried  along  the  raised  road  beyond  the 
moat  until  we  came  to  a  marble  bridge  (formerly  a 
portcullis),  that  leads  into  the  gate  of  the  Palace  in 
front  of  the  Manchu  Banner  quarters,  at  the  foot  of 
the  Coal  Hill.  Our  chairs,  by  special  arrangement, 
were  allowed  to  enter  the  inclosure  proper,  of  the 
Winter  Palace ;  but  even  after  entering  the  exterior 
gates,  one  winds  in  and  out  between  high  walls, 
through  massive  gates  and  heavy  wooden  doors 
studded  with  huge  iron  nails  and  ornamental  copper 
balls.  *  Against  the  high  wall  on  either  side  of  this 
approach,  wooden  sheds  were  built  as  sleeping-places 
for  the  guards  and  soldiers.  Each  shed  had  a  front 
of  lattice-work,  with  paper  pasted  over  the  interstices. 
Within  was  a  cemented  platform,  which  the  Northern 
Chinese  use  as  beds.  These  have  a  place  underneath 
for  building  a  fire,  for  they  keep  warm  at  night  by 
sleeping  on  hot  beds  and  use  very  little  cover. 

Just  beyond  the  last  of  these  guard-houses,  our 
official  "green  chairs"  were  put  down  between  two 
high  walls,  with  forbidding  gates  in  front  of  us. 
Here  we  took  the  red  Palace  chairs  which  were  await- 
ing us.  We  were  swiftly  carried  through  still  other 
gates  and  past  a  very  labyrinth  of  walls.  The  courts 
were  all  paved  in  large  flagstones  of  white  marble, 
and  surrounded  by  high  walls  with  heavy  doors.  We 
finally  reached  a  charming  court,  where,  standing  un- 

202 


The  Winter  Palace 

der  the  overhanging  branches  of  a  beautiful  cedar, 
we  found  the  young  Empress  and  Princesses,  in  full 
Court  dress,  already  awaiting  the  coming  of  Her 
Majesty.  It  was  a  pretty  group  that  stood  there, 
gowned  in  their  splendid  Court  costumes,  the  sunlight 
glinting  upon  the  jeweled  crowns  of  their  fur  caps, 
and  giving  a  touch  of  nature  to  the  brilliant  flowers 
in  their  hair.  My  plain,  foreign,  tailor-made  gown 
was  the  only  dark  spot  in  this  bright  group  of 
gorgeously  attired  ladies. 

Presently  the  cymbals  and  flutes  sounded  the  weird 
notes  of  the  "  Imperial  Hymn."  The  great  wooden 
doors  of  the  court  were  thrown  open  and  the  Imperial 
procession  came  in  sight.  Splendidly  gowned  eunuchs 
advanced  in  two  lines,  walking  with  rigid  bodies  and 
stately  step.  At  a  sign  from  the  young  Empress,  a 
hush  fell  upon  the  chattering  group  of  Princesses  and 
each  took  her  proper  place.  Then  the  Imperial  chair- 
bearers  crossed  the  threshold,  with  Her  Majesty  sit- 
ting erect  in  one  of  her  "  open  chairs,"  for  as  soon 
as  she  gets  into  the  Palace  grounds  she  leaves  the 
closed  palanquin,  in  which  she  is  obliged  to  travel 
abroad  and  which  she  very  much  dislikes  on  account  of 
its  stuffiness.  The  Ladies,  as  if  moved  by  one  impulse, 
made  the  formal  bow  at  her  approach,  and  repeated 
the  usual  Imperial  salutation  "  Lao-tzu-tzung-chee 
siang,"  which  I  repeated  with  the  others.  Her  Maj- 
esty had  her  chair  stopped  in  the  center  of  the  Court 
and  got  out,  and  I  went  up  to  salute  her.  She  shook 
hands,  and  said  she  hoped  I  would  be  happy  in  the 
Winter  Palace,  but  that  it  was  a  dull,  depressing  sort 
of  a  place,  with  too  many  walls  and  gates,  after  the 

203 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

open  brightness. of  the  Summer  Palace.  After  a  few 
minutes'  conversation  she  went  into  the  Throne-room, 
followed  by  the  Empress  and  Ladies. 

Her  Majesty's  Throne-room  at  the  Winter  Palace 
fronted  on  a  court  which  was  surrounded  by  well- 
built  walls  with  curiously  shaped  doors  and  win- 
dows and  ornamental  yellow  and  green  tiled  designs 
at  intervals.  In  the  center  of  the  wall  in  front  was 
the  immense  gateway,  with  wooden  folding-doors, 
which  had  just  opened  for  her  passage.  The  verandah 
of  the  Throne-room  had  two  rooms  projecting  upon 
it,  making  of  it  a  rectangular  space  with  walls 
around  three  of  its  sides.  This  verandah  was  quite 
different  from  any  at  the  Summer  Palace,  where 
they  run  the  whole  length  of  the  buildings,  back  and 
front. 

Entering,  I  was  struck  by  the  beauty  of  the  great 
central  hall— the  harmony  of  its  proportions,  the  som- 
ber splendor  of  its  color.  It  seemed  to  me  the  most  sat- 
isfying, the  most  picturesque  of  all  the  restful,  harmo- 
nious Chinese  interiors  I  had  seen.  Its  dull  red  walls, 
splendid  coffered  ceiling  glowing  in  color  and  glint- 
ing in  gold,  its  central  dome,  with  elaborately  carved 
pendatives,  was  painted  in  brilliant  primary  colors, 
subdued  into  a  rich  harmony  by  the  demi-obscurity, 
for  it  had  no  "  lantern  "  and  received  its  light  from  the 
windows  below. 

The  curious  feature  of  the  domes  in  several  of  the 
palaces  in  the  Violet  City,  so  effective  from  within, 
giving  elevation  and  space  to  the  interiors,  is  that  they 
are  not  visible  from  the  outside  of  the  edifice.  The 
beautiful  straight  line  of  the  roof,  with  its  upturned 

2O4 


The  Winter  Palace 

corners,  remains  intact  in  its  purity  and  retains  its 
restful  simplicity. 

The  hall  was  paved  with  great  blocks  of  highly 
polished  black  marble,  which  dimly  reflected  the  glow- 
ing splendor  of  the  walls  and  ceiling.  In  the  center 
of  one  side  was  a  low  dais,  richly  carpeted,  on  which 
stood  a  great  antique  throne  and  footstool  of  red 
lacquer,  framed  in  ebony  and  inlaid  with  cloisonne"  — 
the  three-leaved  screen  behind  was  of  bronze,  with 
landscapes  in  low  relief.  On  each  leaf  a  poem  in 
golden  characters  gave  the  needed  touch  of  brilliancy 
to  the  somber  massiveness  of  the  dull  bronze. 

Great  wooden  doors,  with  huge  gilded  dragons  in 
high  relief,  opened  into  apartments  on  the  right  and 
left  of  this  splendid  hall.  These  portals  were  always 
thrown  wide,  and  heavily  padded  satin  portieres  hung 
from  the  lintels.  The  front  and  rear  of  the  hall  was 
almost  entirely  of  glass,  with  the  pillars  that  supported 
the  roof  standing  clear  between  the  windows— the 
lower  half  of  plate  glass,  the  upper,  of  transparent 
Corean  paper. 

The  apartments  to  the  right,  where,  at  a  sign  from 
Her  Majesty,  I  followed  the  Ladies,  were  her  day- 
rooms.  Her  sitting-room,  projecting  on  the  veran- 
dah, brilliantly  lighted  by  two  sides  of  windows, 
was  in  dazzling  contrast  to  the  somber  splendor  of  the 
Throne-room.  The  sun  pouring  through  the  windows, 
the  gay  flowers  and  growing  plants,  the  fruits  piled 
high  in  great  painted  bowls,  the  divans,  beneath  the 
windows,  with  satin  cushions,  the  touches  of  femi- 
ninity, the  subtle  perfume,  even  the  small  shrine  to 
Buddha— everything  bespoke  the  characteristics  of 

205 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

its  august  mistress,  who,  in  her  hours  of  ease,  loved 
sunshine  and  flowers,  and  reveled  in  beauty  and  per- 
fume. 

On  entering,  Her  Majesty  approached  the  small 
shrine,  lighted  three  slender  tapers  of  fragrant 
incense,  and  placed  them  upright  in  the  perfumed 
ashes  of  the  golden  censer  at  the  feet  of  Buddha. 
She  rearranged  the  offerings,  placed  a  picture  of  the 
Mother  of  Buddha  behind  the  Image,  and  then  stood 
in  reverent  attitude  a  few  seconds  before  turning  to 
her  waiting  tirewomen  to  have  her  outer  garments 
removed. 

As  I  had  now  learned  that  my  interest  in  her  sur- 
roundings pleased  her,  I  looked  around  the  room.  It 
was  as  lofty  as  the  Great  Throne-room,  but  the  rear 
wall  was  divided  into  two  stories,  and  a  hidden  stair- 
way led  to  the  upper  rooms.  In  an  alcove,  under 
the  second  floor,  was  built  the  bed  where  she  took  her 
siesta  in  the  afternoon,  screened  from  the  sitting- 
room  by  beautifully  embroidered  satin  curtains.  The 
walls  of  carved  teakwood  had  a  rare  frieze  of  panels 
of  flying  birds  and  bats  in  mother-of-pearl.  There 
were  scrolls  bearing  quotations  from  the  classics; 
and,  of  course,  many  beautiful  and  curious  clocks 
adorned  the  dragon  tables,  the  window-seats,  and 
carved  chests ! 

In  prominent  places,  each  flanked  by  good-luck 
pennants,  hung  two  steel-engravings :  the  first  repre- 
senting Queen  Victoria  in  regal  array ;  the  second,  the 
Queen  and  Prince  Consort,  surrounded  by  their  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren.  I  was  surprised  to  see  them 
here  in  Her  Majesty's  living-room,  though  I  had  heard 

206 


The  Winter  Palace 

that  the  Empress  Dowager  had  a  great  admiration 
for  the  Queen,  and  that  she  thought  there  were  many 
points  of  similarity  in  their  reigns.  They  had  each  been 
widows  the  greater  part  of  their  lives,  and  had  each 
ruled  over  great  empires.  She  said  she  noticed  in  the 
Queen's  face  the  same  lines  of  longevity  that  she,  her- 
self, had.  She  probably  dreams  of  as  long  a  life  as 
the  great  Queen  of  England  had. 

The  Empress  Dowager  was  astonished  that  I  had 
seen  so  many  members  of  the  English  Royal  family, 
and  the  Queen  herself,  when  I  had  never  had  an 
"  Audience,"  and  was  still  more  so  when  she  learned 
that  the  Great  English  Empress  took  her  daily  prom- 
enade outside  her  Palace  Walls  in  "  an  open  chair," 
and  could  be  seen  by  any  one  who  happened  to  pass 
that  way. 

Her  Majesty  told  me  I  might  go  up  the  hidden 
stairway,  leading  from  her  bed-alcove  to  the  floor 
above,  where  was  her  private  chapel.  Here,  on  special 
occasions,  services  were  held  by  lama  priests.  It 
was  a  beautiful  haven,  in  whose  dim,  religious  light 
one  might  meditate  or  pray. 

Its  high  altar,  with  a  great  golden  Buddha  of  fine 
design,  had  tall,  golden  candlesticks,  shining  with 
pearls  *and  rubies.  Richly  wrought  and  enameled 
vases  held  bouquets  of  jeweled  flowers,  and  censers, 
damascened  with  gold,  sent  up  spirals  of  perfumed 
smoke.  The  floor  was  covered  with  a  splendid  silken 
rug  of  Imperial  yellow,  and  small,  exquisitely  exe- 
cuted, paintings  of  the  saints  and  personified  attri- 
butes formed  a  dado  around  the  walls. 

Curiously  shaped  windows,  with  bits  of  translucent 

207 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

shell  set  into  the  elaborate  lattice-work,  shed  but  a 
dim  light,  and  out  of  mysterious  depths  shone  the 
splendid  jewels  of  the  altar  ornaments,  the  dull  gold 
of  the  Great  Buddha,  and  the  gleaming  dado  of  red- 
and-gold  clothed  saints !  This  was  Her  Majesty's 
favorite  chapel.  She  had  followed  me  up  and  showed  it 
with  pride.  She  appreciated  its  perfect  artistic  quality 
as  much,  I  am  sure,  as  she  loved  its  religious  element. 

Here  she  could  come,  from  the  privacy  of  her  bed- 
alcove,  mount  the  hidden  stairs  when  she  willed,  un- 
noticed and  unattended,  and  here  seek  that  peace  which 
seemed  so  far  away  those  troubled  days  of  January, 
1904,  when  all  looked  so  dark  for  her  country. 

Her  Majesty's  Throne-room  is  in  the  first  of 
three  large  halls  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  in- 
closure,  which,  with  their  courts,  extend  to  the  exte- 
rior walls  of  the  Palace.  The  buildings  are  raised  about 
eight  feet  above  the  marble-paved  court  and  are  ap- 
proached by  handsome,  white  marble  steps.  Leading 
up  to  the  second,  for  the  first  time  I  saw  a  "  spirit- 
stairway  "  used  in  secular  architecture.  This  "  spirit- 
stairway  "  consists  of  a  block  of  marble  placed  in  the 
center  and  reaching  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the 
stairway.  This  block,  instead  of  being  cut  into  steps, 
is  elaborately  carved  with  the  double  dragon.  It  lies  in 
the  middle  of  the  stairway  like  a  beautiful  heavy  carpet 
thrown  over  it,  too  stiff  to  take  the  form  of  steps. 
The  "spirit-stairway,"  not  to  be  touched  by  mortal 
feet,  is  used  in  the  approaches  to  all  the  fine  temples ; 
and  when,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Temple  of  Heaven  at 
Peking,  the  stairs  are  high,  the  effect  is  as  beautiful 
as  it  is  original  and  unique. 

208 


The  Winter  Palace 

The  hall  with  the  "spirit-stairway"  is  the  handsomest 
of  the  three  in  the  Empress  Dowager's  inclosure.  Its 
interior,  a  height  of  fifty  feet,  has  a  splendid  coffered 
ceiling,  and  its  walls  are  of  wonderfully  carved 
wood,  with  cloisonn^  medallions,  which  give  great 
richness  and  splendor.  A  balcony  surrounds  this 
lofty  hall,  with  openings  from  it  into  rooms  over  the 
side  apartments,  which  are  of  but  the  usual  height. 
This  great  front  hall,  with  a  dais  and  throne,  screen 
and  ceremonial  fans,  showed  it  was  for  more  formal 
receptions  than  the  beautiful  domed  room  we  had 
first  entered.  Opposite  the  Throne  dais  stood  a  "  cis- 
tern" of  splendidly  carved  jade  to  hold  water  for 
cooling  the  temperature  in  summer.  A  handsome 
music-box,  which  had  been  sent  as  a  present  to  the 
Dowager  Empress  by  Queen  Victoria,  and  several  other 
presents  from  European  Royalties,  stood  around.  The 
apartments  on  the  right  were  for  His  Majesty's  use 
when  he  came  to  the  Theater,  which  was  near.  On 
the  left  were  Her  Majesty's  night  apartments.  Two 
doors  led  through  the  openwork  screen  which  sepa- 
rated the  hall  from  the  entrance  at  the  rear.  Here 
there  was  another  magnificent  block  of  jade,  about 
five  feet  high,  elaborately  carved  in  designs  repre- 
senting the  manner  in  which  the  jade  is  mined  and 
taken  from  its  native  mountains. 

From  the  central  hall,  a  raised  marble  platform  led 
into  the  third  of  the  buildings.  Here,  again,  the  cen- 
tral hall  occupied  the  entire  height,  while  the  sides 
were  divided  into  two  stories.  This  was  one  of  the  Em- 
peror's Throne-rooms,  and  he  had  graciously  given  it 
for  my  use  while  painting  the  Empress  Dowager's  por- 

209 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

traits.  I  had  been  told  I  was  to  have  a  "magnificent  place 
for  working  "  in  the  Winter  Palace,  and  so  far  as  mag- 
nificence went,  I  had  it  here.  But,  lofty  and  spacious  as 
the  hall  was,  it  was  very  dark,  and  there  was  also  a 
disagreeable  reflection  from  the  shining,  yellow-tiled 
roof  of  the  Palace  in  front.  The  court  was  very  small, 
and  the  reflection  from  the  roof  was  consequently 
unavoidable.  My  heart  fell.  It  was  a  dreadful  dis- 
appointment to  find  that  my  "  studio,"  to  which  I  had 
so  looked  forward,  was  so  unsatisfactory  as  to  light ! 
The  Empress  Dowager's  quarters  at  the  Winter 
Palace  are  separated  by  high  walls  and  guarded 
gates  from  the  Emperor's.  The  pavilions  of  the  Em- 
peror's inclosure  are  on  a  more  magnificent  scale  even 
than  those  of  the  Empress  Dowager.  The  Audience 
Hall  of  the  Winter  Palace  is  in  the  Emperor's  inclo- 
sure. In  Her  Majesty's  inclosure,  there  is  a  Theater, 
but  the  Imperial  "  loge  "  is  small,  indeed,  when  com- 
pared with  the  splendid  hall  at  the  Summer  Palace. 
Tradition  seemed  to  be  more  rigidly  observed  here 
than  at  the  Summer  Palace,  and  everything  seemed 
to  be  referred  to  the  Emperor ;  whereas  Her  Majesty 
seemed  to  be  the  first  figure  at  the  Summer  Palace,  and 
there,  traditional  laws  were  often  in  abeyance. 


2  IO 


CHAPTER  XXV 

PEKING— BEGINNING  THE  PORTRAIT  FOR  ST.  LOUIS 

rilHE  Legation  quarter  of  Peking  lies  in  the  Tartar 
JL  City,  just  under  the  walls  of  the  Imperial  City. 
The  United  States  Legation,  in  1904,  occupied  a  Chi- 
nese Temple  on  the  canal,  at  the  left  of  the  "  Water 
Gate,"  the  opening  of  which  was  exacted  by  the  Allies 
in  1900.  Before  this  time,  there  was  no  gate  between 
the  Chien-MIn  and  the  Hata-Men. 

It  was  a  picturesque  jaunt  in  the  early  morning  that 
I  had  from  the  United  States  Legation  to  the  Palace. 
My  cart  rattled  down  the  road,  running  parallel  to  the 
canal,  past  the  splendid  inclosure  of  the  English  Le- 
gation to  the  "  Glacis,"  and  across  the  Marble  Bridge, 
that  traverses  it,  to  the  narrow  street  under  the  great 
red  walls  of  the  Imperial  City.  The  walls  all  over  China 
are  wonderful  feats  of  architecture,  the  culminating 
point  of  the  science  of  the  Chinese  builder.  The 
"Great  Wall,"  long  counted  one  of  the  wonders  of 
the  world,  is  one  of  many  in  China,  and  only  remark 
able  on  account  of  its  size  and  great  length.  Nearly 
every  town  and  city  in  China  has  massive,  well-con- 
structed walls,  which,  with  their  splendid  gate-towers, 
make  them  really  remarkable  works  of  architecture. 
Even  the  palaces  and  parks  of  the  rich  have  fine  walls, 

211 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  monotony  of  their  line  varied  by  the  turreted 
summer-houses  which  surmount  their  angles.  These 
walls,  quite  overtopping  the  cities  and  houses  they 
inclose,  with  their  watch-towers  permitting  their  de- 
fenders to  see  at  great  distances,  must,  in  medieval 
times,  have  been  a  splendid  protection  against  the 
attacks  of  enemies  or  the  inroads  of  barbarians. 

The  main  thoroughfares  of  the  Tartar  City  are  very 
wide,  with  a  raised  causeway,  about  two  feet  high,  in 
the  center.  When  Their  Majesties  go  abroad,  this  is 
covered  with  yellow  sand  and  is  used  as  an  Imperial 
roadway.  Ordinarily  any  cart  or  chair,  irrespective 
of  the  rank  of  the  occupant,  may  use  it.  It  is  always 
kept  in  excellent  condition,  and  seems  to  be  a  survival 
of  the  raised  roads  that  Marco  Polo  speaks  of  in  de- 
scribing the  grounds  of  the  Palace  of  Kublai-Kahn. 
The  lower  roads  on  either  side  of  this  raised  causeway 
are  generally  in  a  lamentable  state.  Itinerant  cooks 
ply  their  odorous  trade  of  frying  grease-balls,  etc. ; 
barbers  shave  their  clients  and  act  as  manicures  and 
chiropodists,  in  full  view  of  the  passer-by ;  venders  of 
old  iron,  clothes,  vegetables,  etc.,  spread  out  their 
wares  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  in  reckless  disregard 
of  the  wandering  fowls,  dogs,  and  even  pigs,  which 
roam  about.  Pools  of  stagnant  water  and  piles  of 
refuse  add  their  quota  to  the  malodorous  confusion. 
Still  the  streets  are  not  unpicturesque.  The  elabo- 
rately carved  fronts  of  the  shops,  the  graceful  signs, 
with  their  red  pennants,  %the  gaily  colored  lanterns 
swinging  to  and  fro,  the  great  umbrellas  unfurled 
here  and  there  over  the  itinerant  venders,  all  have  a 
certain  sort  of  charm. 

212 


Peking 


After  entering  the  gate  of  the  Imperial  City,  the 
roads  are  gay  with  carts,  official  chairs,  and  hand- 
somely caparisoned  horses.  We  sometimes  met  at- 
tache's of  the  "Wai-Wu-Pu"  and  different  Yamens 
hurrying  to  and  fro  with  despatches,  or  caught  a 
glimpse,  in  the  depths  of  his  green  chair,  of  one  of 
the  great  ministers,  the  thin  white-bearded  face  of 
Prince  Ching,  or  the  heavy  Jewish-looking  physiog- 
nomy of  Na-Tung,  the  new  minister,  who  seems  likely 
to  grow  in  favor.  Sometimes  we  passed  a  bridal 
procession,  with  its  gay,  red-embroidered  chairs,  or 
some  splendid  funeral,  with  the  great  red  catafalque, 
covered  with  magnificent  embroideries  (for  red  is  used 
alike  for  wedding  chairs  and  for  funeral  decorations) — 
its  massive,  long  poles  held  by  hundreds  of  red-gowned 
bearers  and  accompanied  by  the  motley  crew  of  figu- 
rants, who  are  always  hired  for  funeral  celebrations 
in  China;  the  catafalque,  followed  by  white-covered 
carts,  carrying  the  mourning  white-garbed  women  of 
the  family.  Sometimes  we  passed  a  crowd  of  yellow- 
gowned  lama  priests  and  monks  returning  from  some 
celebration  in  the  Palace— sometimes,  great  droves  of 
camels  laden  with  coal  from  the  mountains  or  prod- 
uce from  afar.  During  the  annual  visit  of  the  Mon- 
golian Princes  to  Peking  we  met  them  with  their  fur- 
dressed  and  leather-booted  followers,  their  quaintly 
caparisoned  horses,  and  splendidly  bedecked  camels, 
for  they  were  domiciled  in  Palaces,  within  the  Impe- 
rial City. 

All  this  we  could  see  as  we  went  on  our  way  to  the 
Great  Gate  of  the  Palace,  itself.  Within  the  walls 
and  at  the  gate  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  Palace,  with 

213 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  usual  Chinese  tolerance,  the  consideration  of  the 
great  for  the  poor,  beggars  are  allowed  to  come  at  cer- 
tain times  each  day,  to  receive  remnants  from  the 
Imperial  kitchen.  The  poor  are  also  permitted  to 
examine  the  garbage  of  the  Palace,  before  it  is 
carted  away.  There  was  always  a  motley  crew  of 
ragged  beggars  around  this  gate,  who  received,  appar- 
ently, kind  consideration  from  the  soldiers  and  guards. 
At  least,  they  were  allowed  to  ply  their  trade  and  to 
follow  their  avocations  in  peace. 

I  found  the  light,  in  the  magnificent  hall  which 
had  now  become  my  studio,  so  obscure,  even  in  front 
of  the  great  plate-glass  doors,  that  it  was  almost  use- 
less to  attempt  to  work.  After  trying  to  do  so  for 
two  or  three  days,  I  told  the  head  eunuch  it  was  im- 
possible. I  did  not  wish  to  trouble  Her  Majesty 
with  my  annoyances,  for  she  had  enough  of  her  own 
cares,  and  seemed  to  grow  daily  more  and  more  anx- 
ious and  depressed  over  the  constantly  growing  ru- 
mors of  war  in  Manchuria ;  but  it  was  impossible  to 
work  longer  where  I  was,  and  I  decided  I  would  have 
one  of  the  ends  of  the  hall,  which  projected  beyond  the 
overhanging  eaves  of  the  verandah,  fitted  up  for  my 
work,  and  in  order  to  have  sufficient  light,  even  here,  it 
was  necessary  to  have  the  upper  paper  windows  re- 
placed by  plate  glass.  The  eunuchs  demurred.  They 
said  this  would  necessitate  great  changes,  with  heavy 
expense,  besides  establishing  a  precedent,  as  no  other 
part  of  the  Palace  had  plate-glass  windows  at  the  top  ! 
The  next  time  the  Empress  Dowager  came  in,  I  told  her 
it  was  impossible  to  w6rk  as  it  was.  She,  herself, 
remarked  how  dark  it  was,  and  noticed  the  reflection 

2  14 


Beginning  the  Portrait  for  St.  Louis 

from  the  yellow  roof  opposite.  And  when  she  heard 
what  I  wished,  she  ordered  it  to  be  done  at  once,  say- 
ing she  would  "  speak  to  the  Emperor  "  about  it.  An 
order  of  Her  Majesty's  was  always  promptly  carried 
out,  and  two  days  after,  to  my  astonishment,  the  plate- 
glass  windows  were  placed  as  I  wished.  I  had  the 
divan  that  was  built  under  the  windows  removed, 
and  all  the  furniture  taken  out  of  this  end  of  the 
hall.  The  eunuchs  hesitated  about  removing  an  im- 
mense elephant  clock  of  wonderful  mechanism,  as 
it  had  not  been  moved  for  a  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  but  I  finally  accomplished  even  this !  Even 
without  the  furniture,  this  end  of  the  hall  was  but  a 
small  space  in  which  to  work ;  but  I  had  a  fairly  good 
light,  and  a  quiet  place  to  paint  in,  for  the  first  time 
since  I  began  painting  the  Empress  Dowager.  Here  I 
was  sufficiently  far  away  from  Her  Majesty's  apart- 
ments, as  well  as  from  those  of  the  Princesses  and 
Ladies,  to  be  able  to  work  in  quiet,  without  interrup- 
tions. A  set  of  European  furniture  had  been  placed  in 
the  great  hall,  when  it  was  decided  to  give  it  to  me,  and 
though  this  did  not  please  me,  in  an  artistic  sense,  it 
being  absolutely  out  of  keeping  with  its  environment, 
I  found  the  well-cushioned  easy-chairs  a  real  comfort 
when  I  wanted  to  rest. 

As  soon  as  I  was  comfortably  settled  in  my  new 
studio,  the  Empress  Dowager  began  to  talk  of  having 
another  large  portrait  begun— large  enough  to  repre- 
sent her  with  all  the  paraphernalia  of  Royalty  (the 
ceremonial  fans,  the  three-fold  screen,  the  nine  phenix, 
plants  of  heavenly  bamboo)  and  pyramids  of  apples- 
all  emblematic,  or  symbolic.  I  told  Her  Majesty  it 

215 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

would  be  best  to  make  a  small  study  for  this  picture, 
and  that  the  size  of  the  portrait  could  be  determined 
on  after  this  was  finished.  She  readily  assented, 
and  I  began  the  small  study.  There  were  a  number 
of  beautiful  thrones  in  the  Palace,  any  one  of  which 
would  have  suited  the  lines  of  the  composition.  I 
selected  one  of  the  superb,  antique  thrones  of  red 
lacquer,  a  magnificent  work  of  art,  but  the  Empress 
Dowager  did  not  care  for  this  throne.  It  was  not  a 
matter  of  whether  the  lines  or  color  suited  the 
picture,  the  point  was  to  have  everything  "Ho-shih" 
(proper),  as  the  Chinese  say.  With  the  Chinese,  pro- 
priety is  a  religion,  and  a  thing  that  is  " proper" 
must  conform  to  tradition,  for  tradition  and  propriety 
are  synonymous.  The  question  of  the  throne  was 
left  in  abeyance  for  the  moment,  as  Her  Majesty  said 
there  was  one  she  would  like  to  have  painted,  which 
she  would  have  found  before  I  began  the  big 
picture. 

I  finally  began  the  sketch.  Her  Maj  esty  was  dressed 
in  one  of  her  official  winter  gowns.  Its  fur  lining 
rendered  the  already  heavily  embroidered  satin  stiffer 
than  ever,  and  any  stray  folds  that  might  perchance 
have  appeared,  were  pulled  out  by  a  heavy  fringe 
of  pearls  around  the  hem.  She  had  on  her  famous 
pearl  mantle  over  an  official  jacket.  In  her  coiffure 
she  wore  her  long  tassel  of  pearls,  and  many  curious 
ceremonial  jewels.  She  had  on  fur-lined  under- 
sleeves,  which  hid  half  her  beautiful  hands.  The 
effect  of  her  tiny  finger-tips,  with  their  long  curving 
nails  and  jeweled  shields,  the  palms  not  being  visible, 
was  most  unfortunate.  Added  to  this,  she  held  them 

2  I  6 


I'RINCE  CHIiNG 


Beginning  the  Portrait  for  St.  Louis 

tightly  together  in  her  lap,  and  the  lines  were  obscured 
by  a  large,  pale-blue  handkerchief  in  one  hand. 

My  heart  fell.  Thus  I  would  lose  one  of  her 
chief  beauties.  I  begged  Lady  Yu-Keng  to  ask  her 
to  pose  her  hands  differently.  She  said  she  could 
not  do  such  a  thing ;  so,  in  my  inelegant  Chinese, 
I  told  Her  Majesty  I  did  not  like  her  hands  as  they 
were.  "But  I  like  them  like  that,"  she  said,  looking 
at  me  with  a  charming  expression  of  amused  astonish- 
ment, amazed  that  it  was  possible  for  any  one  not  to 
like  what  she  liked ;  and  she  kept  her  hands  as  they 
were,  and  I  was  obliged  to  begin  the  picture  with  the 
hands  in  that  position. 

The  first  sketch  was  quickly  made,  and  Her  Majesty 
expressed  herself  as  pleased  with  it.  Then  came  the 
discussion  as  to  the  size  of  the  portrait.  I  made  my 
measurements,  and  thought  five  feet  by  eight  was 
large  enough,  but  when  she  saw  what  size  it  was 
going  to  be,  she  thought  six  feet  by  ten  would  be 
better.  The  Palace  carpenters  were  accordingly 
called  in,  and  I  gave  them  as  accurate  directions  as 
I  could,  for  making  a  stretcher.  The  Chinese  work- 
men are  clever,  patient,  and  apt  at  carrying  out  sug- 
gestions, and  the  stretcher  was  satisfactorily  made. 
But  the  canvas  was  to  be  put  on  this  stretcher,  and 
this  they  seemed  to  have  no  idea  of,  so  I  was  obliged 
to  try  to  do  it  myself.  Owing  to  the  size  of  the 
canvas,  I  was  compelled  to  stand  on  a  stool  six  feet 
high  (they  had  no  ladders),  with  the  huge  stretcher 
before  me.  An  army  of  eunuchs  stood  around  to 
assist  me,  presided  over  by  a  head  eunuch.  I  used 
the  iron  pincers  and  pulled  the  canvas,  myself.  It 

217 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

was  held  at  the  corners  by  eunuchs,  also  on  stools ; 
one  eunuch  held  the  tacks,  another  the  hammer,  etc. 
Each  order  I  gave  was  repeated  in  a  loud  voice  by 
the  head  eunuch,  and  at  every  failure  to  comprehend 
my  directions,  the  working  eunuchs  were  rebuked  and 
threatened  with  the  "bamboo."  Finally,  I  accom- 
plished the  difficult  task,  and  the  great  canvas  was 
stretched.  Her  Majesty  was  greatly  exercised  when 
she  learned  I  had  done  it  myself.  She  said  that  I 
should  have  made  the  eunuchs  "stretch  four  or  five," 
until  they  learned  to  do  one  properly.  But  I  had  n't 
sufficient  canvas  for  such  experiments,  and  could  get 
no  more  in  China. 


2l8 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

SOME  SOCIAL  CUSTOMS— MANCHU  AND  CHINESE 

I  MET  the  wives  and  families  of  all  the  Princes,  no- 
bles, and  high  Manchu  officials  in  Peking,  for  they 
came  to  the  Court  at  stated  intervals,  besides  on  many 
special  occasions,  when  they  were  invited  by  Her  Maj- 
esty. The  most  frequent  of  these  visitors  to  the  Pal' 
ace  were  Prince  dung's  wives  and  daughters,  the 
wives  of  the  Emperor's  brothers,  his  father's  second- 
ary wives  and  their  daughters,  and  the  sisters  of  the 
young  Empress,  one  of  whom  is  the  clever  Princess 
Schun.  The  widow  of  the  Grand  Secretary  Yung  Lu, 
who  lost,  in  one  year,  her  husband  and  a  promising 
son,  and  who  was  nearly  crazed  by  grief,  also  came 
often.  She  was  not  very  brilliant,  nor  the  kind  of 
woman  to  appeal  to  Her  Majesty ;  but  her  grief  seemed 
to  touch  the  Empress  Dowager,  and  she  received  special 
marks  of  favor  when  in  the  Palace,  and  came  and  weni; 
as  she  willed.  A  step-daughter,  whom  she  had  herself 
brought  up  through  a  very  delicate  childhood,  was  the 
wife  of  the  Emperor's  brother,  Prince  C'hun.  Should 
they  have  a  son  he  will  probably  be  the  next  heir  to 
the  Throne. 

On  their  marriage  the  brides  of  nobles  of  a  certain 
rank  go  to  the  Palace  to  be  presented  to  the  Empress 

219 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Dowager.  This  ceremony  corresponds  to  the  presenta 
tion,  on  their  marriage,  of  ladies  at  the  English  Court. 
These  brides  are  always  magnificently  dressed  in  em- 
broidered gowns  of  rich  colors,  and  wear,  for  the  first 
time,  the  Court  coiffure  of  the  married  ladies,  the  mag- 
nificent golden  filigree,  jeweled  construction,  which  I 
have  already  described,  and  for  this  occasion  they  wear 
a  profusion  of  jewels.  The  Manchu  ladies  use  much 
more  discretion  in  wearing  jewels  than  the  Chinese 
ladies.  The  latter  will  sometimes  wear  as  many  as  fif- 
teen bracelets  on  each  arm,  and  the  number  of  jewels 
they  put  in  their  coiffure  seems  to  be  limited  only  by 
the  space  they  have  at  their  disposal. 

The  brides  come  to  the  Palace  in  red  satin  bridal 
chairs,  accompanied  by  their  husband's  mother  and  his 
married  sisters,  if  he  has  any ;  if  not,  by  his  nearest 
women  relations.  On  their  arrival  in  the  Precincts 
they  first  go  to  the  Throne-room  and  make  their  bows 
and  prostrations  before  the  Empress  Dowager,  to  thank 
her  for  the  gifts  she  has  sent.  Sometimes  Her  Majesty 
would  speak  to  them  at  some  length,  seeming  to  give 
them  advice.  After  making  their  obeisances  to  her, 
they  then  make  their  salutations  to  the  young  Em- 
press. They  spend  the  day  at  the  Palace,  take 
luncheon  with  the  young  Empress  and  Princesses,  and 
leave  about  three  o'clock.  These  brides  were  gener- 
ally very  young  girls,  though  sometimes  I  was  sur- 
prised to  see  that  they  had  well  passed  the  first  bloom 
of  youth,  for  I  had  thought  that  all  Oriental  women 
were  married  very  young.  The  young  Empress  was 
always  charming  to  the  brides,  and  seemed  to  watch 
over  their  pleasure,  and  try  to  make  them  enjoy  this 

22O 


Some  Social  Customs 

rather  trying  day,  when  they  were  the  observed  of  all 
observers.  Among  these  brides,  the  winter  I  was  in 
Peking,  was  the  wife  of  the  Emperor's  youngest 
brother,  a  charming  young  girl  with  sweet  manners, 
far  more  attractive  in  every  way  than  Yung  Lu's 
daughter,  the  wife  of  Prince  C'hun. 

The  Chinese  look  upon  a  daughter,  at  her  birth,  as 
a  misfortune,  one  of  the  ills  that  must  be  endured, 
and  while  loving  her  individually,  a  daughter  is  not 
welcomed  into  the  family  nor  allowed  the  privileges 
of  a  son.  It  is,  however,  quite  different  with  the 
Manchus.  A  daughter  not  being  able  to  sacrifice  to 
the  ancestors,  even  Manchus  prefer  a  son;  but  a 
daughter  is  a  welcome  member  of  the  family,  and  she 
has  a  distinct  and  independent  position  of  her  own. 
One  of  the  Chinese  ministers  to  Washington  once 
told  me  that  the  only  unmarried  woman  in  the  world 
whose  position  is  analogous  to  that  of  the  "  American 
Girl,"  in  her  own  family,  is  the  Manchu  girl. 

As  long  as  the  Manchu  girl  remains  unmarried,  she 
is  a  veritable  power  in  the  household.  She  ranks  as 
high  as  her  brother,  and  always  takes  precedence  of 
her  brother's  wife,  even  if  that  wife  be  double  her  age 
and  married  before  she  was  born.  She  precedes  her 
mother  even,  as  she  is  of  the  Blood  and  her  mother 
of  "  another  family."  Not  only  has  she  these  social 
privileges,  but  she  has  well-defined  legal  rights.  Her 
father  cannot  make  a  disposition  of  his  property 
without  his  eldest  daughter's  consent.  She  can  go 
into  her  brother's  house,  dismiss  his  servants,  and 
generally  direct  his  affairs.  Her  word  has  more  weight 
as  to  the  bringing  up  of  her  brother's  children  than 

221 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

his  wife's,  as  she  is  a  sister,  a  born  relation,  and  the 
wife  is  only  an  acquired  relation.  When  she  marries, 
however,  she  becomes  a  member  of  the  family  into 
which  she  marries ;  but  even  then,  such  is  the  ascen- 
dancy of  the  girl  in  the  Manchu  family,  even  after  her 
marriage  into  another  family,  she  often  goes  on  dictat- 
ing to  her  brother's  family  and  her  own  as  before,  if 
she  does  not  find  her  own  household  duties  and  her 
own  family  sufficient  occupation  to  keep  her  from  do- 
ing so.  Such  is  the  force  of  consanguinity  among  the 
Manchus,  and  the  position  of  the  daughter  in  the 
family. 

The  unmarried  Manchu  girl  has  not  only  this  liberty 
in  her  family,  but  she  has  more  liberty  in  the  outside 
world  than  any  other  Oriental  woman. 

They  are  not  so  restricted  in  their  social  intercourse 
as  any  other  Oriental  women,  and  while  they  are  not 
so  literary  as  the  Chinese,  they  have  more  social  quali- 
ties and  are  brighter  conversationalists,  being  both 
witty  and  gay. 

They  are  not  forced  to  marry  against  their  inclina- 
tions and  some  remain  single  to  the  end  of  their  days, 
or  marry  late  in  life  if  they  so  desire.  These  unmar- 
ried ladies  are  not  only  looked  up  to  by  their  own 
families,  but  they  are  not  regarded  as  being  objects 
of  commiseration  by  the  world  at  large.  On  the 
contrary,  they  are  rewarded  with  triumphal  arches  and 
splendid  monuments  if  they  have  passed  a  long  and 
exemplary  life  of  maidenhood.  Although  the  brides 
that  came  into  the  Palace  were  generally  young,  one 
who  came  to  make  her  bow  to  the  Empress  Dowager, 
while  I  was  there,  was  a  lady  of  forty-two  summers. 

222 


Some  Social  Customs 

She  had  brought  up  two  or  three  families  of  brothers' 
children  and  directed  their  households ;  but  she  finally 
succumbed  to  the  charms  of  a  wealthy  official,  who  had 
lost  his  wife  two  years  before  and  who  had  a  number 
of  children  on  which  she  could  continue  to  practise 
her  theories  as  to  their  bringing  up.  Had  she  held  out 
longer  and  died  a  maiden,  she  might  have  had  an  arch 
built  to  her  memory  after  death  and  gone  down  to 
posterity. 

Only  ladies,  young  girls  and  boys  under  seventeen 
were  ever  guests  of  the  Empress  Dowager  in  her  Pal- 
ace. The  Manchu  nobles  and  high  officials  were  in- 
vited on  certain  days  to  the  Theater,  but  there  was 
always  the  high  intervening  screen  between  them  and 
Her  Majesty's  and  the  Ladies'  loges.  The  Princes  and 
nobles  who  have  official  positions,  see  the  Empress 
Dowager  in  the  Audience  Hall,  and  she  is  now  over 
sixty.  She  has  more  liberty  than  before,  but  generally 
their  Audiences  are  with  the  Emperor  alone,  and  they 
never  come  into  the  Ladies'  Precincts.  At  the  per- 
formance of  the  European  circus  in  the  Palace  grounds 
I  saw,  for  the  first  tune,  nearly  all  the  Princes  and 
Manchu  officials. 

The  Manchus  are  a  taller  race  than  the  Chinese  and 
more  athletic-looking.  They  are  fond  of  exercise,  in- 
dulge in  archery,  riding,  etc.,  and  do  not  look  down 
upon  a  military  career,  as  do  the  Chinese.  It  is  said 
that  polo  playing,  which  the  English  got  from  India, 
originated  among  the  Tartars,  and  that  it  is  still 
played  in  Manchuria.  I  never  saw  polo  played  by  the 
Manchus,  but  I  have  seen  some  daring  riding  done  by 
the  young  nobles  that  would  seem  to  show  they  could 

223 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

play  polo  if  they  would.  The  Manchu  nobles  have  an 
inherited  military  rank,  and  they  also  receive  military 
advancement  for  proficiency  in  archery  and  riding. 
The  warlike  spirit  that  prompted  the  Manchus  and 
their  progenitors,  the  Nu-Chih  Tartars,  who  not  only 
conquered  CMna,  but,  as  "  the  Huns,"  almost  overran 
Europe  itself,  is  no  longer  so  militant  as  it  was.  The 
modern  Manchu  is  becoming  almost  as  peace-loving 
as  the  Chinese  themselves,  but  there  are  still  qualities 
which  show  their  descent  from  a  race  of  warriors. 

They  wear  the  ordinary  Chinese  costume,  and 
though  it  is  said  "the  shaven  head  and  wearing  of 
the  queue  "  were  instituted  as  marks  of  degradation 
for  the  Chinese  when  they  were  conquered  by  the 
Manchus,  the  Emperor  himself  and  all  the  Manchu 
nobles  shave  their  heads  and  wear  the  queue  !  They 
wear  satin  boots  with  white  kid  soles.  Their  hats,  in 
summer  of  finely  woven  straw,  and  of  fur  in  winter, 
have  the  crown  covered  with  a  tassel  of  red  silk,  sur- 
mounted by  the  jeweled  button  denoting  their  ranks. 
From  this  button  stands  out,  almost  at  right  angles, 
a  jade-mounted  aigret,  mixed  with  the  peafowl 
feathers,  if  they  have  attained  that  rank.  In  winter, 
they  wear  splendid  sable  short  coats.  Except  these 
sable  topcoats,  fur  is  never  worn  on  the  outside  of  a 
garment  in  China,  but  is  used  only  as  a  lining. 

When  I  saw  the  Manchu  nobles  at  the  circus  at  the 
Summer  Palace,  they  wore  the  splendid  summer  Court 
costume,  embroidered  in  the  double  dragon,  reaching 
below  the  knee.  They  were  tightly  belted  in  around  the 
waist,  and  very  full  and  ample  across  the  shoulders, 
giving  the  men  the  appearance,  at  least,  of  broad  shoul- 

224 


Manchu  and  Chinese 

ders,  and  enhancing  their  already  fine  figures.  One 
could  see  that  the  Emperor  was  the  "  glass  of  fashion 
and  mold  of  form"  of  the  young  nobles ;  for  they  all 
aimed,  as  much  as  possible,  at  his  slenderness  of  figure 
and  even  imitated  his  carriage.  The  young  dandies, 
however,  wore  a  much  greater  profusion  of  ornaments 
than  His  Majesty  ever  indulged  in.  The  belt  buckle,  the 
handsomest  ornament  worn,  was  of  carved  jade,  ruby 
quartz,  or  of  beautifully  chased  gold  set  with  precious 
stones.  They  were  then  wearing  a  profusion  of  orna- 
ments dangling  from  their  belts— embroidered  cases 
for  fans,  chop-sticks  and  knives,  and  many  other 
ornaments  besides  the  watch,  an  indispensable  adjunct 
to  every  Chinese  gentleman's  costume.  This  is  worn 
hanging  from  the  belt  in  a  handsome,  embroidered 
case  with  an  open  front,  so  that  the  elaborate  case, 
generally  studded  with  jewels,  beautifully  enameled, 
or  curiously  incised,  could  be  seen.  This  case  had  a 
sort  of  fob  attachment  made  of  silken  cord,  woven 
into  quaint  designs  and  finished  generally  with  a 
wonderfully  carved  piece  of  jade,  ruby  quartz,  or  some 
other  curious  stone. 

Manchu  ladies  wear  their  gowns  long  and  loose, 
hanging  from  the  shoulders,  and  never  show  the  line 
of  the  waist,  nor  the  outline  of  the  figure;  but  the 
men  belt  in  their  gowns  tightly,  and  are  very  proud 
of  a  small  waist. 

Among  the  social  customs  in  China,  which  obtain 
also  among  the  Manchus,  is  "concubinage."  But  it 
exists  in  such  a  form  that  in  its  actual  state,  it  might 
more  properly  be  called  "plurality  of  wives."  The 
concubine,  or  secondary  wife,  as  I  will  call  her,  is 

225 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

taken  from  the  bosom  of  her  family,  and  her  position 
in  her  husband's  family  is  considered  as  secure  as  that 
of  the  first  wife.  Though  the  first  wife  only  has  a 
legal  standing,  custom  gives  the  secondary  wife  equal 
rights,  and  she  is  no  more  likely  to  be  put  aside  than 
the  first  wife.  There  are,  I  suppose,  men  in  China 
who  put  away  a  secondary  wife,  if  they  are  wealthy 
enough  to  have  taken  one  or  several,  but  they  would 
be  socially  and  generally  ostracized. 

The  man  marries  in  China  as  soon  as  he  reaches 
manhood.  Some  young  girl  who  is  of  the  same  social 
standing  and  has  the  requisite  qualities  for  his  wife 
is  chosen  for  him  by  his  parents.  This  is  the  legiti- 
mate wife.  She  is  the  first  and  remains  first  always, 
taking  precedence  of  any  and  all  others  that  may  be 
chosen.  The  secondary  wife  is  often  of  the  same 
class  as  the  first  wife.  She  is  generally  chosen  by  the 
man  himself,  and  is  taken  from  some  good  family  who 
may  be  poor,  and  she  is  an  honest  young  girl. 

She  is  received,  on  her  entrance  into  the  household, 
by  the  wife  and  the  man's  mother,  if  she  be  alive,  and 
her  position  in  the  family  is  assigned  to  her.  While 
she  must  pay  court  and  due  respect  to  the  first  wife, 
she  has  her  own  servants  and  her  own  rights,  and 
leads  her  own  independent  life.  The  first  wife  has 
entire  authority,  in  certain  matters,  over  the  secondary 
ones,  but  they  generally  live  amicably  together.  As 
the  first  wife  is  married  several  years  before  any  sec- 
ond wife  is  taken,  and  as  she  is  also  generally  their 
superior  in  age,  this  entitles  her  to  their  respect, 
aside  from  her  legal  standing  and  her  position  as 
first  in  the  household.  The  secondary  wives  stand  in 

2  26 


Manchu  and  Chinese 

the  presence  of  the  first  wife  until  she  asks  them  to 
sit.  Should  they  have  any  children,  the  latter  call 
the  first  wife  "mother,"  and  though  the  mother  has 
her  part  in  bringing  up  the  child,  it  calls  her,  if 
she  be  a  secondary  wife,  by  her  first  name,  and,  in 
important  matters,  her  authority  over  the  child 
must  give  way  to  that  of  the  first  wife.  But  the  first 
wife  rarely  abuses  her  authority  over  the  children 
any  more  than  over  the  other  wives,  and  does  not 
interfere  except  for,  what,  she  thinks  is,  the  child's 
good. 

In  theory,  according  to  our  ideas,  and  with  American 
or  European  women,  this  would  be  a  sad  state  of 
affairs,  but  practically,  as  it  exists  in  China  and  with 
Chinese  women,  it  seems  to  work  well.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  houses  in  China  is  also  well  adapted  for 
this  kind  of  life.  There  are  a  number  of  courts  sur- 
rounded by  pavilions,  each  court  and  its  pavilions 
forming  a  unit— a  separate  dwelling-place— this  unit 
being  a  part  of  a  great  whole. 

The  wives  live  in  harmony  together,  and  seem  like 
a  family  of  sisters.  The  first  wife  apparently  takes 
pride  in  the  good  conduct  and  handsome  appearance 
of  the  others,  and  there  seems  to  be  very  little  jealousy 
among  them. 

If  this  be  the  position  of  the  secondary  wife  in  the 
families  of  the  gentry  and  nobility,  one  may  imagine 
how  much  more  exalted  it  is  in  the  Imperial  family 
and  how  the  secondary  wife  of  an  Emperor  would  be 
considered.  To  have  their  daughter  chosen  as  the 
secondary  wife  of  an  Emperor  is  looked  upon  as  an 
honor  in  the  highest  Manchu  families.  Of  course, 

227 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 
/ 

they  would  prefer  to  have  her  the  first  wife,  for  she 
has  more  power,  but  none  of  them  would  demur  at 
an  alliance  of  the  secondary  kind  for  their  daughter, 
for  she  may  thus  become  the  mother  of  an  Emperor, 
and  she  does  become,  by  this  marriage,  a  member  of 
the  Imperial  family,  and  is  treated  as  such.  She  ranks 
higher  than  any  of  the  Princesses  or  Ladies  of  the 
Court,  and  takes  precedence  of  all  except  the  first  wife, 
or  a  secondary  wife,  of  the  Emperor,  who  may  have 
been  married  before  she  was.  Her  place  is  at  the 
side  of  the  first  wife,  the  Empress.  In  the  Palace  she 
is  called  by  the  same  title  as  the  first  wife,  a  Manchu 
word  meaning  "  Mistress."  She  cannot  wear  the  Im- 
perial yellow,  it  is  true,  but  she  does  wear  the  Imperial 
orange,  which  no  other  Lady  at  Court  can  wear. 

These  secondary  wives  are  not  taken  for  some  phys- 
ical quality  from  among  the  masses ;  they  are  not  in  the 
Palace  as  the  result  of  a  caprice  of  the  Emperor.  They 
are  from  the  highest  families  in  the  land.  They  are 
generally  chosen  by  the  Emperor's  mother,  if  she  be 
alive,  with  as  much  care  as  the  first  wife,  and  her  posi- 
tion is  inferior,  only  from  an  official  standpoint,  to  that 
of  the  Empress.  She  may  even  become  Empress  her- 
self on  the  death  of  the  first  wife  and  those  who  pre- 
cede her.  The  Emperor  of  China  has  no  "harem," 
but  he  may  have  as  many  wives  as  he  wishes.  His 
wives  never  live  together  in  the  promiscuity  of  a 
harem,  where  all  individuality  is  lost.  Each  wife  has 
her  own  establishment  and  her  own  position,  and  is  not 
dependent  on  her  physical  charms  for  her  maintenance 
in  that  position,  any  more  than  is  the  first  wife.  Should 
she  be  the  mother  of  children,  she  may  advance 

228 


Manchu  and  Chinese 

beyond  the  others  who  have  none,  excepting  always 
the  first  wife;  and  even  should  she  have  no  children, 
she  has  always  her  separate  establishment  and  is  con- 
sidered a  member  of  the  family.  The  Emperor  Kwang- 
Hsu  has  two  wives,  both  designated  by  the  same  title 
in  the  Palace.  In  this  account  of  my  experiences  I 
only  allude  to  the  first  wife,  because  it  would  be  con- 
fusing to  speak  of  two  Empresses  where  there  is  also 
an  Empress  Dowager,  and  also  because  the  first  wife, 
in  this  instance,  is  so  much  the  stronger  character  and 
the  more  interesting  personality. 


229 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

PRESENT-GIVING  IN  CHINA 

PRESENT-GIVING  is  really  carried  to  great  excess 
all  over  China,  and  whatever  obtains  in  China 
obtains  at  the  Palace.  The  Palace  is  spoken  of  in 
Peking  as  the  "  Inside,"  that  is,  the  heart  of  the  Em- 
pire. From  this  "  Inside,"  customs  and  habits  flow 
and  pulse  over  the  rest  of  China,  as  the  blood  does 
from  the  heart,  by  a  thousand  arteries  reaching  to  the 
very  confines  of  the  Empire,  and  it  also  receives  the 
impress  of  what  passes  on  outside  among  the  people. 
Whether  it  be,  in  the  instance  of  present-giving,  that 
the  custom  has  grown  from  the  "Inside"  to  the 
"  Outside  "  or  vice  versa,  I  know  not,  but  it  is  universal 
in  China.  However,  it  probably  reaches  its  greatest 
excess  in  the  Palace. 

Births,  marriages,  and  deaths  are  all  marked  by 
presents,  and  there  is  a  very  riot  of  present-giving  at 
the  New  Year !  Every  one  then  exchanges  them,  from 
the  lowest  to  the  highest.  Next  comes  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  birth.  This  is  celebrated  with  an  unheard- 
of  pomp  in  China.  The  more  exalted  the  rank  and  the 
greater  the  age,  the  more  splendid  is  the  celebration 
and  the  more  magnificent  the  presents.  The  Em- 
peror's Birthday  was  the  first  I  saw  celebrated,  and  I 

230 


Present-Giving  in  China 

was  astonished  at  the  number  and  elegance  of  the 
presents  that  flowed  into  the  Palace  on  this  occasion. 
But  at  the  Empress  Dowager's  Birthday  all  this  was 
far  surpassed ;  and  her  presents  exceeded  in  number 
and  elegance  His  Majesty's,  for  she  was  celebrating 
more  years  than  the  Emperor,  and  the  number  and 
value  of  birthday  presents  increase  in  proportion  to 
the  years.  Their  elegance  and  number  are  also  regu- 
lated by  the  rank.  The  presents  the  Grand  Secretary 
and  the  Prime  Minister  receive  on  such  occasions 
would  quite  astonish  a  Westerner,  and,  of  course,  far 
surpass  in  number  and  magnificence  what  would  be 
offered  to  the  president  of  a  department,  as  his  would 
exceed,  in  elegance,  those  offered  to  secretaries  of  the 
Board. 

Eveiy  festival,  every  ceremony,  and  all  anniver- 
saries are  marked  by  presents,  in  the  Palace.  There 
is  scarcely  a  day  that  presents  are  not  sent  into  the 
Palace,  that  some  are  not  sent  out,  and  rarely  a  day 
when  some  presents  are  not  exchanged  by  those  "  In- 
side." The  Empress  Dowager  and  the  Emperor  receive 
the  greatest  number,  and,  of  course,  they  give  the 
greatest  number.  This  seemed  to  me  the  greatest  ex- 
travagance of  the  Empress  Dowager.  At  every  change 
of  season,  she  presents  the  young  Empress,  the  Prin- 
cesses, and  Ladies,  without  reference  to  her  favorites, 
with  silks,  dresses,  shoes,  and  ornaments  appropriate 
to  the  season,  and  not  only  do  the  Ladies  receive  these 
articles  of  wearing  apparel  at  the  changes  of  the  sea- 
son :  she  gives  them  many  presents  at  each  festival. 
Besides  this,  she  gives  nearly  all  the  expensive  Court 
dresses  that  are  worn  at  the  Palace,  which  cost,  with 

231 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

their  embroideries,  from  three  to  six  hundred  dollars 
each.  She  presents  the  Ladies  with  coiffures  and 
many  jeweled  ornaments  as  well.  On  the  occasion 
of  a  wedding  among  the  Manchu  nobility,  which 
must  be  announced  to  the  Court  before  it  takes  place, 
Her  Majesty  presents  the  bride  handsome  rolls  of 
silk,  embroideries,  and  jewels.  On  the  occasion  of 
births  among  the  courtiers,  she  sends  handsome  orna- 
ments to  be  worn  by  the  new-born  child.  Even  on 
the  death  of  certain  people,  she  sends  handsome  pres- 
ents to  the  family,  or  something  to  be  worn  by  the  de- 
parted, if  it  should  be  a  widow,  who  had  led  a  long 
and  exemplary  life  of  widowhood,  and  had  devoted 
herself  to  charity  and  good  works. 

When  the  ladies  of  the  Legation  were  first  received 
at  the  Palace,  the  Empress  Dowager  naturally  followed 
the  Chinese  Imperial  custom  of  giving  each  lady  a 
present.  This  precedent  having  been  established  and 
seeming  to  have  given  pleasure,  when  the  ladies  were 
received  the  next  time,  which  was  after  the  Boxer 
rebellion,  she  gave  them  presents  again.  Unfortu- 
nately, this  act  was  construed  into  a  desire  on  her  part 
to  wheedle  the  foreigners,  and  curry  favor,  so  that  she 
might  receive  better  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the 
Powers.  The  truth  is,  she  loves  to  play  the  Lady 
Bountiful,  and  she  never  mixes  up  the  social  with  the 
political,  and  I  am  sure  she  had  no  "  arriere-ponse"e  " 
but  was  simply  indulging  her  usual  bent.  After  the 
first  few  Audiences  (when  the  presents  were  really  of 
value),  Her  Majesty  gave  small  and  unimportant  pres- 
ents at  the  garden  parties,  which  were  made  the  subject 
of  ridicule.  Her  Majesty  had  heard  that  the  ladies  did 

232 


Present-Giving  in  China 

not  wish  to  receive  such  handsome  presents  as  she  had 
first  given,  and  she  hence  gave  inexpensive  souvenirs. 
Finally,  the  Ministers  asked  the  Chinese  Foreign  Office 
to  request  the  Empress  Dowager  to  give  no  more  pres- 
ents at  the  Audiences,  and  the  custom  was  abolished ; 
though  Her  Majesty  continued  to  give  presents  in  pri- 
vate, and  she  still  sends,  on  the  four  great  Chinese 
festivals,  flowers,  fruits,  and  confectionery  to  all  the 
ladies  of  the  Legation,  as  well  as  to  every  lady  who  has 
ever  been  received  at  the  garden  parties,  and  on-  the 
departure  of  any  Minister  from  Peking,  she  sends  his 
wife  some  parting  presents. 

But  though  present-giving  has  been  stopped  at  the 
Audiences  of  the  foreign  ladies,  it  goes  on  with  the 
same  excess  in  the  Palace  and  among  officials  in 
China.  At  each  of  Their  Majesties'  Birthdays,  in 
spite  of  their  protests  and  edicts  to  prevent  it, 
presents  pour  into  the  Palace !  Every  official  who 
has  ever  been  presented  in  Audience,  or  who  has  the 
right,  by  his  official  position,  to  send  anything,  does 
so.  Edicts  from  the  Throne  to  prevent  it  will  remain 
as  ineffectual  as  those  with  reference  to  the  binding 
of  the  feet  of  the  Chinese  women  (which  Her  Majesty 
has  for  years  been  "  recommending  "  in  edicts  to  be 
abolished),  for  it  has  become  so  thoroughly  a  part  of 
Chinese  life  as  to  be  almost  indispensable.  Present- 
giving  in  China  is  one  of  those  "  unwritten  laws  " 
whose  tyranny  is  hardest  to  break  away  from.  Though 
the  system  of  present-giving  is  a  great  tax  on  the 
officials,  as  well  as  their  subordinates,  in  this  instance 
the  change  must  come  from  the  people. 

As  I  was  an  inmate  of  the  Palace  for  so  long,  of 

233 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

course  I  came  in  for  my  share  of  presents  from  the 
Empress  Dowager.  At  every  festival  I  was  remem- 
bered, as  well  as  the  Princesses  and  Ladies  of  the  Court, 
and  when  presents  were  sent  to  the  ladies  of  the  Lega- 
tion, she  sent  similar  ones  to  me.  Many  of  the  presents 
she  made  me  showed  a  real  consideration  for  my  com- 
fort and  displayed  much  forethought.  When  the 
weather  "became  cool,  and  the  Ladies  of  the  Court  put 
on  wadded  dresses,  Her  Majesty  sent  one  of  her  maids 
to  my  apartments  to  get  one  of  my  tailor-made  dresses. 
She  had  the  Palace  tailors  copy  this  in  wadded  silk. 
It  was  wonderful  how  well  they  did  it,  too,  for,  as  I 
knew  nothing  about  it,  I  could  give  no  advice.  She 
ordered  a  few  changes  made  in  the  severity  of  the 
tailor-costume,  thinking  it  was  too  hard  in  its  lines. 
She  had  a  long,  soft  sash  to  tie  at  the  side,  which,  she 
decided,  made  it  look  more  graceful.  When  the  Prin- 
cesses put  on  furs,  Her  Majesty,  herself,  designed  for 
me  a  long  fur-lined  garment  which  she  thought  would 
be  comfortable  to  paint  in.  She  had  some  trouble  in 
arriving  at  a  result  which  pleased  her,  which  would 
be  warm  enough,  and  which,  at  the  same  time,  would  not 
interfere  with  the  freedom  of  movement  necessary  for 
me  to  work  with  ease.  At  the  time  of  the  Chinese 
New  Year,  she  sent  me  two  curiously  fashioned  fur- 
lined  dresses.  She  had  the  skirts  copied  from  old 
pictures.  They  were  not  unlike  our  pleated  skirts, 
with  an  embroidered  panel  down  the  center  of  the 
front.  The  jackets  were  a  sort  of  compromise  be- 
tween European  and  Chinese,  and  the  costumes  were 
not  only  pretty  but  very  comfortable.1 

234 


THE  AUTHOR  IN  CHINESE  COSTUME 


Present-Giving  in  China 

For  wearing  with  these  she  ordered  a  sable  hat,  for 
the  Chinese  ladies  wear  some  sort  of  coiffure  on  the 
head,  winter  and  summer.  This  had  an  embroidered 
crown  of  pale  lavender  satin,  with  long  satin  stream- 
ers embroidered  in  gold  with  good-luck  emblems.  The 
brim  could  be  worn  either  turned  off  the  face  or  pulled 
over  the  ears  and  tied  under  the  chin  with  lavender 
strings.  She  said  she  had  some  trouble  in  finding  a 
design  which  she  thought  would  suit  me.  This  hat  she 
had  also  had  copied  from  old  prints.  I  learned  later 
she  had  tried  three  sorts  of  sables  before  she  got  a 
color  which  she  thought  would  be  becoming  to  my 
unfortunate  blonde  hair !  On  the  front  of  the  brim 
she  placed  a  Princess  Button.  This  is  worn  only  by 
Ladies  of  the  Court,  and  represents  the  Flaming  Pearl 
of  the  Dynasty.  It  was  established  by  the  founders 
of  the  Dynasty  and  is  the  distinguishing  jewel  of  the 
members  of  the  Imperial  family.  It  consists  of  a 
large  pearl,  surrounded  by  three  alternating  rows  of 
seed-pearls  and  corals,  which  are  supposed  to  repre- 
sent flames!  This  Flaming  Pearl,  symbol  of  the 
"  Unattainable,"  is  the  eternal  quest  of  the  double 
dragon ! 

Her  Majesty  also  presented  me  with  a  number  of 
other  charming  things  that  I  shall  always  treasure  as 
coming  from  her,  and  as  evidence  of  her  consideration 
for  "  the  stranger  within  her  gates,"  or  as  spontaneous 
offerings  from  her  naturally  generous  nature — ever 
desirous  of  giving  pleasure.  I  wish  I  might  have  pre- 
served the  flowers  and  curious  grasses  which  she,  her- 
self, gathered  and  gave  me  on  our  many  promenades 

235 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

around  the  beautiful  grounds  of  the  Summer  Palace, 
but  which,  alas !  are  withered  and  gone ! 


1  Her  Majesty  said  my  individuality  was  not  lost  in  these  costumes, 
and  that  I  was  clothed  in  attire  suitable  to  the  Chinese  interior.  She 
had  now  devised  a  costume  for  me  which  was  really  in  harmony  with 
my  new  environment.  Our  rough  tweeds  and  somber  garments,  out- 
lining and  defining  the  figure,  looked  mesquin  and  out  of  place  in 
these  great  halls.  The  bright  colors  and  simple  lines  of  the  gowns  of 
the  Chinese  ladies  are  much  more  in  keeping  with  their  interiors. 
Her  Majesty's  artistic  taste  had  divined  this,  and  she  had  made  several 
attempts  to  devise  something  for  me  that  was  in  harmony  with  the 
Chinese  "milieu"  and  at  the  same  time  comfortable. 


236 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

SOME  WINTER  DAYS  AT  THE  PALACE 

THE  big,  official  portrait  for  St.  Louis  was  ad- 
vancing. I  was  able  to  accomplish  much  more 
now  that  I  had  a  place  where  I  could  work  unin- 
terruptedly, and  quietly  study  the  painting  when  I 
was  not  working.  Her  Majesty  came,  with  her  usual 
retinue,  to  pose,  but  it  was  not  at  fixed  times,  and  was 
often  when  I  did  not  expect  her.  She  was  looking 
more  and  more  anxious  these  days ;  but  she  came  to 
pose  whenever  it  was  necessary,  and  was  very  par- 
ticular as  to  all  the  details  in  the  portrait.  She  often 
had  the  jewels  and  ornaments  changed,  and  her  pearl 
mantle  was  made  over,  after  she  saw  it  in  the  first 
sketch,  as  she  did  not  like  its  form. 

The  throne,  about  which  there  had  been  a  question 
when  I  began  the  portrait,  and  which  had  been  a 
present  to  Her  Majesty  from  the  late  Emperor  Tong 
Chih,  her  son,  had  been  "lost"  during  the  Boxer 
troubles,  but  Her  Majesty  thought  it  might  be  repro- 
duced from  descriptions  and  from  sketches  by  the 
Palace  painters  who  had  seen  it ;  but  I  could  not  con- 
sent to  work  either  from  memory  or  other  painters' 
sketches,  and  I  was  finally  obliged  to  paint,  "faute  de 
mieux,"  one  of  the  carved  teakwood  thrones  of  which 

237 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Her  Majesty  is  so  fond.  This  throne  did  not  suit  the 
straight  lines  of  the  composition  so  well  as  almost 
any  other  in  the  Palace  would  have  done,  but  Her 
Majesty  wished  it. 

I  found  the  representation  of  the  nine  life-size 
phenix,  in  vigorous  colors,  on  a  blue  cloisonne  screen 
placed  almost  touching  the  throne,  very  difficult  to 
represent,  so  that  they  did  not  seem  to  be  real  birds 
flying  around  her  head.  The  vases  of  flowers  and 
ornaments  were  also  placed  at  exactly  equal  distances 
on  either  side  of  the  throne,  but  it  was  necessary  to 
paint  them  this  way.  It  would  not  have  been  "  proper" 
otherwise.  The  figure  was  in  the  exact  center  of  the 
three-fold  screen,  and  so  near  it,  it  was  impossible  to 
ge  any  atmosphere  in  the  background.  There  was 
not  a  fold  in  either  gown  or  sleeves ;  but  I  had  now 
resigned  myself  to  convention  and  tradition,  and  I 
copied  mechanically  what  was  placed  before  me,  and 
made  no  more  efforts  at  artistic  arrangements,  nor 
tried  any  experiments  in  execution.  I  worked  like  a 
good  artisan,  finishing  so  many  inches  a  day. 

The  weather  was  now  too  cold  for  anything  but  the 
short  constitutional,  and,  besides,  there  was  no  place 
in  the  Winter  Palace  to  tempt  one  to  promenades— 
only  the  walled-in  courts  and  the  shut-in  walks, 
between  high  walls.  Even  Her  Majesty's  promenades 
were  confined  to  going  to  the  Audience  Hall  in  the 
morning,  and  walking  through  the  courts,  from  one 
Throne-room  to  another. 

Every  day  we  saw  the  Empress  Dowager  for  some 
moments  in  her  Throne-room  before  I  went  to  my 
work.  On  Theater  days,  I  made  her  my  morning  salu- 


Some  Winter  Days  at  the  Palace 

tation  in  her  loge  at  the  Theater,  and  when  the  light 
faded  and  I  could  paint  no  more,  I  would  go  into  the 
young  Empress's  and  the  Ladies'  loge  for  the  last 
play  and  the  spectacular  finale,  when  there  were 
always  some  good  illuminations  and  pretty  effects. 
Her  Majesty  and  the  young  Empress  seemed  now  to 
perfectly  understand  that  I  wanted  to  work,  and  must 
work,  in  order  to  finish  the  large  portrait  for  the  St. 
Louis  Exposition.  They  saw  I  appreciated  the  amuse- 
ments and  ceremonies,  etc.,  but  that  I  did  not  wish 
them  to  interfere  with  my  work.  When  there  was  a 
special  festival,  or  some  fine  ceremony,  I  was  always 
called  in,  but  otherwise  I  might  go  or  not,  as  I  wished. 

I  lunched  generally  with  the  Ladies,  with  the  charm- 
ing young  Empress  as  gracious  hostess,  and  dined  at 
night  atHer Majesty's  table.  Two  huge  copper  braziers 
had  now  been  placed  in  the  Throne-room,  and  though 
so  picturesque  with  the  blue  flames  curling  above  their 
openings  in  the  top,  they  made  but  little  impression 
upon  the  temperature  of  this  lofty  room.  The  curtains 
over  the  immense  doors  that  opened  on  the  courts 
were  constantly  being  raised  for  the  passage  of  some 
eunuch,  and  it  was  very  drafty.  But  one  could  at 
least  warm  one's  hands  by  the  braziers,  and  they  were 
so  beautiful  and  picturesque,  I  was  reconciled  to  being 
a  little  cold ;  besides,  I  soon  became  accustomed  to  the 
temperature.  The  Chinese  Ladies  wear  heavy  fur- 
lined  dresses  in  the  house,  and  cannot  stand  the  rooms 
very  warm. 

At  dinner,  a  large  carpet  was  now  placed  under  the 
table,  which  was  an  improvement  over  the  cold 
marble  floors.  This  was  done  for  my  comfort,  for 

239 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  Chinese  Ladies  wear  two-inch-thick  cork  soles  to 
their  fur-lined  shoes.  Down  the  center  of  the  table, 
during  the  winter,  there  were  several  silver  chafing- 
dishes,  with  burning  charcoal  beneath  their  steaming 
contents.  Soups,  vegetables,  and  meat  stews  were 
thus  kept  boiling  hot  on  the  table.  One  night  I  sug- 
gested to  one  of  the  eunuchs  to  place  the  claret-bottle 
near  the  fire  before  serving  it,  that  the  chill  might  be 
taken  off.  One  very  cold  day,  soon  after,  the  eunuch 
brought  in  a  large  teapot,  and  began  pouring  the 
boiling  claret  out  of  this !  The  Chinese  drink  their 
wines  hot,  and  he  thought  he  would  improve  on  my 
suggestion  of  "taking  off  the  chill,"  and  he  naively 
remarked  "  it  was  better  for  me  to  drink  it  thus  on 
such  a  cold  day !" 

When  there  was  no  Theater,  and  it  became  too  dark 
to  paint,  I  would  join  the  young  Empress  and  Ladies 
in  their  sitting-room  at  the  left  of  Her  Majesty's 
Throne-room  and  there  await  dinner.  The  young 
Empress  would  then  teach  me  Chinese.  She  was 
very  particular  about  my  accent  and  seemed  to  take  a 
real  interest  in  my  progress.  The  Chinese  language 
is  very  difficult  for  a  beginner,  even  for  one  who  has 
a  good  ear,  for  the  "  tone "  or  inflection  with  which 
you  pronounce  the  word  may  change  its  meaning. 
Sometimes  one  after  the  other  of  the  Princesses  would 
repeat  the  same  word  in  different  tones  and  make  me 
repeat  it  and  then  give  the  meaning  of  each  tone. 
They  would  sometimes  make  puns  on  words,  or  give 
me  a  string  of  difficult  words  for  the  accent  and  to  im- 
prove my  enunciation,  as  the  French  teach  the  chil- 
dren, "  Trois  gros  rats  dans  trois  gros  trous."  When 

240 


Some  Winter  Days  at  the  Palace 

I  would  finally  get  quite  tangled  up  with  these  words 
I  would  retaliate  with  "  Peter  Piper  picked  a  peck  of 
pickled  peppers."  This  would  end  the  lesson  for  that 
day,  for  they  would  all  try  to  say  it  and  get  so  hilari- 
ous that  there  was  no  effort  at  further  study,  and  din- 
ner would  be  announced  in  the  midst  of  the  fun. 

Sometimes  the  young  Empress  and  the  Ladies  would 
play  cards  in  the  evenings.  Her  Majesty  seemed 
only  to  like  her  fairy  game  !  The  cards  were  narrow 
slips  of  pasteboard  with  curious  devices  on  each,  but 
little  more  than  an  inch  wide,  and  there  were  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  in  a  pack.  I  never  succeeded  in  getting 
into  the  merits  of  the  game.  Sometimes  when  the  La- 
dies felt  industriously  inclined,  they  would  weave  a 
kind  of  braid.  The  threads,  gold,  silver,  or  silk,  were 
attached  to  the  center  of  a  wooden  table  and  were 
weighted  at  the  ends.  They  would  weave  these  in  and 
out  into  cunningly  fashioned  braids  and  ribbons.  The 
Princesses  did  a  great  deal  of  beautiful  embroidery, 
making  their  own  shoes,  which  are  of  exquisitely  em- 
broidered satin,  but  they  could  not  do  this  at  night,  for 
only  candles  are  used  in  the  two  Peking  Palaces,  the 
Summer  Palace  being  the  only  one  in  China  lighted 
by  electricity. 

One  night  at  dinner  the  young  Empress  asked  me  to 
come  earlier  than  usual  the  next  morning,  as  there 
was  something  she  wished  me  to  see.  Several  eunuchs 
were  waiting  at  the  gate  of  the  Palace  to  conduct  us 
to  the  young  Empress  when  we  arrived  at  nine  o'clock 
the  next  morning,  and  I  then  learned  this  was  her  Birth- 
day. I  hurried  in  and  found  the  Imperial  Princess  and 
all  the  Ladies  of  the  Palace,  besides  a  number  of  visit- 


ic 


241 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

ors,  standing  in  front  of  the  young  Empress's  pavilion. 
They  told  me  she  had  asked  them  to  wait  to  present 
their  congratulations  until  I  came,  and  said  that  I  was 
to  go  in  first.  I  did  so,  and  there,  on  a  throne,  sat  the 
young  Empress  in  full  Court  dress,  wearing  the  Court 
coiffure,  with  its  veil  of  pearls,  which  was  most  be- 
coming to  her  narrow  patrician  face.  She  was  looking 
very  sweet  and  gracious  and  held  out  her  tiny  hand  to 
me  on  my  entrance.  I  bowed  low  over  it  and  kissed 
it,  and  wished  her  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  "  ten 
thousand  "  years  of  happiness  and  all  kinds  of  "  feli- 
citous omens."  I  then  started  to  move  out,  but  she  told 
me  to  remain  in  the  room  at  one  side  and  watch  the 
Princesses  and  Ladies  as  they  came  in.  Each  made 
the  prostrations  before  her  and  presented  a  jade 
"ruyie," 1  which  she  received  with  due  ceremony— the 
same  ceremony  as  for  the  Emperor's  and  Empress 
Dowager's  Birthday ! 

But  these  winter  days  were  not  all  given  up  to  the 
Theater  and  festivals.  There  were  some  days  of  sad- 
der import.  Days  of  mourning  were  often  celebrated 
at  the  Palace.  The  anniversary  of  the  deaths  of  some 
Emperor  or  Ancestor  was  of  frequent  occurrence.  It 
seemed  to  me  they  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  the 
death  of  every  Emperor  of  the  Dynasty !  On  these  days 
there  would  be  sacrifices  at  the  ancestral  tablets  and 
religious  ceremonies  early  in  the  mornings.  The  Em- 
press Dowager  and  the  whole  Court  would  wear  mourn- 
ing for  the  day  and  there  was  never  any  sort  of  amuse- 
ment. White,  which  is  full  mourning,  is  not  worn  on 
these  anniversaries  after  the  third,  but  violet  and  blu& 
(second  mourning)  is  put  on.  The  flowers  worn  in  the 

242 


Some  Winter  Days  at  the  Palace 

coiffure  were  also  in  violet,  white  or  blue,  the  mourning 
colors.  One  night  at  dinner  the  young  Empress,  who 
acts  as  Mistress  of  Ceremonies  in  the  Palace,  told  me 
the  following  was  a  day  of  mourning.  She  asked  me 
if  I  would  wear  one  of  the  mourning  colors,  as  it  was 
the  anniversary  of  the  death  of  the  Emperor  Tung- 
Chih  (the  Empress  Dowager's  son). 

The  next  day  I  put  on  a  black  dress,  our  mourn- 
ing, and  wore  violet  flowers  in  my  hair.  When  we 
entered,  Her  Majesty  was  sacrificing  at  the  small 
shrine  in  her  sitting-room.  She  was  dressed  in  dark 
violet,  heavily  trimmed  with  black,  and  had  not  a 
flower  of  any  kind  in  her  hair — only  a  few  pearls. 
She  looked  very  sad  and  was  more  earnest  and  rever- 
ent at  the  sacrifice  than  usual,  but  when  she  had  fin- 
ished her  sacrifice,  she  bade  us  "Good  morning  "  and 
inquired  after  our  health,  with  her  usual  considera- 
tion. We  soon  left  the  Throne-room  for  my  working- 
hall,  and  I  did  not  see  her  again  until  after  our  dinner 
with  the  Empress  and  Ladies,  when  we  went  into  the 
Throne-room  to  make  our  adieus.  As  I  had  not  been 
wearing  black  for  some  time  (as  Her  Majesty  said  she 
did  n't  like  it),  she  now  noticed  that  I  had  it  on  and  she 
asked  Lady  Yu-Keng,  in  an  aside,  "  why."  She  was 
told  that  when  I  knew  what  anniversary  it  was,  I  had 
put  it  on  on  that  account.  She  seemed  much  touched, 
took  my  hand  in  both  hers,  and  said,  "  You  have  a 
good  heart  to  think  of  my  grief  and  to  have  wished 
to  sympathize,"  and  tears  fell  from  her  eyes  on  my 
hand,  which  she  held  in  hers. 

Poor  lady !  Private  sorrows  and  sad  memories 
were  not  all  she  had  to  grieve  her  now.  I  had  noticed 

243 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

her  growing  anxiety  for  many  days !  She  seemed  to 
feel  all  the  gravity  of  the  political  situation  of  China. 
As  the  rumors  of  war  between  Russia  and  Japan 
grew,  her  anxiety  increased  and  she  was  looking 
sad  and  careworn.  She  seemed  to  be  full  of  doubt 
and  fear,  and  quite  unlike  her  usual  self.  I  fancy  she 
thought  of  the  unprepared  state  of  her  country  and 
feared  that  it  might  be  drawn  into  this  struggle.  She 
seemed  to  be  in  doubt  as  to  the  course  that  was  best 
to  be  taken.  Even  should  the  Empire  not  be  drawn 
into  the  conflict,  two  hostile  nations  were  to  meet 
within  its  borders.  The  struggle  was  to  take  place 
in  Manchuria,  the  cradle  of  the  Dynasty.  That  beau- 
tiful, smiling  country  would  be  ravished  by  war,  and 
the  awful  possibility  of  the  ancestral  tombs  being 
desecrated,  loomed  up  before  her.  The  desecration 
of  the  tombs  of  one's  ancestors  in  China  is  supposed 
to  bring  dire  consequences  upon  the  family,  and  a 
pious  Chinaman  would  face  any  material  loss  rather 
than  run  the  risk  of  these  tombs  being  desecrated. 
She  felt  it  all,  and  was  sad  indeed. 

1  Also  spelled  jiu. 


244 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

RELIGIOUS   RITES  IN  CHINA 

nnHERE  are  three  great  religions  in  China— Bud- 
I  dhism,  Taoism,  and  the  worship  of  Nature.  The 
worship  of  Nature,  in  which  is  embodied  their  highest 
idea  of  an  Invisible  Deity,  is  the  purest  form  of  re- 
ligion in  China.  Its  Temples  are  situated  in  a  mag- 
nificent Park  in  the  Chinese  City  of  Peking.  The 
Temple  of  Heaven,  the  most  imposing  of  the  group, 
spherical  and  triple-domed,  rears  its  proud  height  here 
and  is  visible  from  afar.  Its  triple  dome  tiled,  with- 
out, in  the  sacred  green  of  Nature  and  vaulted  within 
in  Heaven's  own  blue,  is  surrounded  by  groves  of 
century-old  arbor- vitae.  In  other  parts  of  the  great 
Park  are  the  scarcely  less  splendid  Temples  to  the 
Earth,  to  the  Sun  and  Moon  and  to  Agriculture,  and 
grandest,  most  unique  of  these  Temples,  is  that  to 
the  Invisible  Deity.  Its  foundations  are  the  Earth, 
its  walls  are  limitless  Ether,  its  dome  Heaven's  own 
vault !  On  its  great  open  altar  this  Nature-worship 
has  its  culmination  and  reaches  its  highest  fulfilment. 
This  altar  is  the  Holy  of  Holies,  the  tabernacle  of 
the  group  of  Temples  consecrated  to  the  worship  of 
Nature. 

It  is  built  in  the  center  of  a  great  marble  paved 

245 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

space  with  the  secular  arbor-vitae  radiating  therefrom 
in  long  concentric  avenues.  It  is  of  pure  white  mar- 
ble, round  as  is  the  Earth.  The  Trinity  in  Nature  and 
its  Infinity  are  symbolized  in  its  three  superposed 
circles.  Each  of  the  circular  platforms  is  surrounded 
by  an  exquisitely  carved  balustrade  and  approached 
by  flights  of  nine  steps  each,  to  the  north,  south,  east, 
and  west.  The  central  point  of  the  great  upper  circle 
thus  represents  the  center  of  the  Universe,  accessible 
from  every  point  of  the  compass. 

Here  in  this  symbolic  center  of  the  world,  in  this 
great  Temple,  whose  walls  are  Space,  whose  towers 
are  Infinity,  on  this  great  triple  altar,  canopied  with 
Heaven  itself,  the  Emperor  of  China, "  Son  of  Heaven," 
glorifies  the  Invisible  Deity  and  sacrifices  for  the  pros- 
perity of  "  the  Great,  Pure  Kingdom  "  and  his  people. 
This  worship  of  the  Invisible  Deity  has  no  Priestly 
Hierarchy.  The  Emperor  of  China  is  its  one  High 
Priest.  He  alone  is  worthy,  as  the  Son  of  Heaven,  to 
perform  its  unique  ceremonies,  on  its  one  great  Altar, 
in  its  single  great  Temple  of  China. 

The  Emperor  prepares  himself  for  the  great  cere- 
mony of  the  semi-annual  celebration  on  this  altar  by 
a  rigorous  fast  of  three  days,  spending  the  final  night 
before  the  celebration  in  a  vigil  in  the  Great  Park  of 
the  Nature  Temples,  where  there  is  a  Purifying 
Palace  set  aside  for  his  use.  This  glorification  of  the 
Invisible  Deity  at  the  summer  and  winter  solstices  is 
the  most  solemn  act  performed  by  the  Emperor  in  his 
quality  of  Son  of  Heaven. 

The  Emperor  is  not  only  the  one  High  Priest 
worthy  to  sacrifice  on  the  great  altars  to  the  Invisible 

246 


Religious  Rites  in  China 

Deity,  the  Priestly  Hierachy  of  the  whole  of  this 
Cult  of  Nature  is  vested  in  his  Sacred  Person.  He 
alone  offers  sacrifices  in  the  Temples  of  Heaven  and 
the  other  Great  Temples,  at  times  set  aside  in  the 
Book  of  Rites,  and  on  special  occasions.  When  famine 
devastates  the  land,  when  drought  or  any  other  Na- 
tional Calamity  is  visited  upon  the  Empire,  the  Em- 
peror prays  in  these  Temples  for  its  cessation,  for  he 
is  not  only  the  High  Priest,  but  as  "  Son  of  Heaven  " 
is  the  expiator  for  the  afflictions  visited  upon  his 
people  by  Heaven,  and  he  publicly  holds  himself  re- 
sponsible for  the  misfortunes  of  the  Empire.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Book  of  Rites,  he  says  in  time  of  trouble, 
"  I  will  purify  myself  by  sacrifice  that  these  calamities 
may  be  lifted  from  the  Empire  and  the  people.  I 
alone  am  responsible." 

The  great  semi-annual  celebration  to  the  Invisible 
Deity  is  not  only  the  most  solemn  of  the  religious 
rites  the  Emperor  performs ;  it  is  at  the  same  time 
the  most  formal  of  his  official  acts  as  ruler  of  the 
Great  Empire.  He  prepares  himself,  by  fasting  and 
subduing  the  body,  for  the  religious  rite ;  for  the  offi- 
cial ceremony  as  Emperor  of  China,  he  is  accompanied 
by  all  his  ministers  and  the  highest  nobles  of  the 
land  and  surrounded  by  splendid  pomp  and  Imperial 
pageantry. 

Though  in  his  triple  quality  of  Emperor,  High 
Priest,  and  Expiator,  he  personally  sacrifices  only  in 
the  great  Temples  to  Nature  the  Emperor  has  all  the 
religions  of  his  Empire  under  his  protection  and  is 
their  nominal  Head.  He  assists  indiscriminately  at 
Buddhist  or  Taoist  ceremonies,  and  encourages  with 

247 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

impartiality  both  cults.  But  these  religions  have 
priestly  hierarchies,  and  complicated  Rituals,  and  the 
Emperor  is  only  the  "Ex-officio"  Head  and  High 
Priest.  All  the  festivals  and  fasts  of  both  are  cele- 
brated in  the  Palace. 

The  Chinese  are  not  a  religious  people,  though  so 
moral  a  race.  They  are  rather  followers  of  a  philosophy 
than  members  of  religious  bodies.  The  two  most  popu- 
lar religions  of  China,  Buddhism  and  Taoism,  have 
become  more  or  less  outward  forms.  They  are  empty 
shells  which  may  once  have  contained  the  Spirit,  but 
have  now  become  mere  conventional  representations 
of  ancient  rites.  The  Chinese  people  are  really  Confu- 
cians, and  Confucianism  is  a  system  of  ethics,  a  phi- 
losophy rather  than  a  religion.  Whether  they  be  Bud- 
dhists or  Taoists,  they  are  all  followers  of  Confucius, 
and  live  by  the  rules  the  Great  Sage  has  laid  down  for 
them.  The  doctrines  of  Buddha  and  Laotze  have  be- 
come so  incrusted  with  error  in  China  as  to  afford  no 
moral  or  ideal  help  to  their  followers.  The  Chinese 
participate  indiscriminately  in  either  of  these  religious 
rites,  many  of  which  have  become  mere  outward  spec- 
tacular ceremonies,  where  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
display  and  much  form,  but  very  little  real  worship. 
They  get  all  their  moral  support  from  the  writings  of 
Confucius  and  all  their  ideals  from  communion  with 
Nature.  They  are  really  philosophers  and  worship- 
ers of  Nature,  and  the  Emperor's  semi-annual  sacri- 
fice on  the  altar  of  Heaven  and  those  at  the  Temples 
of  Nature  typify  the  real  worship  of  the  people. 

All  the  religious  rites  in  China  have  their  origin  in, 
or  are  in  celebration  of,  some  natural  phenomenon 

248 


Religious  Rites  in  China 

or  some  periodical  event  in  Nature.  They  celebrate 
the  summer  and  winter  solstices,  the  equinoxes,  the 
New  Year,  the  awakening  of  spring,  when  the  sap 
(life-giving  element)  begins  to  mount.  The  Harvest 
Moon  is  the  time  of  the  going  to  rest  of  this  life-giv- 
ing element.  Their  complicated  ceremonial  is  but  the 
crystallization  of  some  simple  observance  of  Nature's 
fundamental  laws.  This  ceremonial  has  been  kept 
alive  all  these  centuries,  because  of  the  vivifying  spark 
of  Nature  which  enkindled  them.  These  rites  are  now 
observed  without  a  thought  of  their  origin,  but  Na- 
ture still  remains  their  creative  force.  In  spite  of 
their  conventions,  the  Chinese  have  kept  very  near  to 
Nature,  and  I  believe  this  is  the  secret  of  their  won- 
derful vitality.  They  have  been  overrun  and  con- 
quered by  many  different  races,  and  their  assimilation 
of  these  conquerors  is  one  of  the  most  astonishing 
things  in  the  ethnic  study  of  this  wonderful  race. 

No  conquering  race  has  ever  changed  the  Chinese. 
Tartars,  Mongols,  Manchus  have  all  passed  and  be- 
come amalgamated  with  them.  Their  conquerors  have 
adopted  the  Chinese  philosophy  and  religion,  their 
customs  and  habits,  and  even  their  system  of  govern- 
ment. And  they  have  never  been  able  to  impose  any 
really  new  system  of  government  upon  the  Chinese. 

These  founders  of  Dynasties  in  China  have  all  been 
"warriors  bold"  and  reckless  marauders  with  little 
philosophy  and  no  literature  to  speak  of.  When  the 
Manchus,  the  last  of  these  conquerors,  founders  of  the 
present  Dynasty,  established  themselves  in  Peking, 
in  1646,  they  were  a  wild  and  warlike  race.  They, 
like  all  the  other  conquerors  of  China,  conciliated  their 

249 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

vanquished  foes  by  all  sorts  of  concessions,  and  they 
now  rule  by  Chinese  laws,  and  to-day  are  hardly  dis- 
tinguishable from  the  Chinese.  They  have  never 
made,  any  more  than  the  other  conquerors,  the 
slightest  impress  upon  this  calm  and  passive  race; 
and  they  have  become  Chinese.  "  To-day  the  Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  Chinamen 
in  China."  The  Manchu  men  to-day  wear  Chinese 
dress.  The  Emperor,  himself,  shaves  his  head  and 
wears  the  queue,  the  one  visible  sign  of  degradation 
that  is  said  to  have  been  imposed  upon  the  Chinese  at 
the  time  of  the  conquest.  Oh !  Irony  of  fate ! 

The  Manchus  are  now  as  quiet  and  peaceful  a  race 
as  the  Chinese  themselves.  They  dread  war.  They 
live  by  the  laws  of  Confucius.  Though  not  a  race  of 
thinkers  or  philosophers,  they  have  come  to  have  the 
same  ideals  as  the  Chinese,  and  this,  without  the 
natural  amalgamation  brought  about  by  inter-mar- 
riage, for  it  is  only  within  the  last  few  years  that  the 
Throne  has  issued  an  edict,  allowing  inter-marriage 
between  the  Chinese  and  Manchu,  and  even,  with  this 
edict,  up  to  this  time  there  has  been  very  little  mix- 
ture, by  marriage,  of  the  races.  The  Chinese  seem 
easily  led  and  conquered,  but  their  national  vitality  is 
very  vigorous,  and  has  kept  them  pure  in  racial  char- 
acteristics after  their  thousands  of  years  of  national 
existence. 

The  Festival  of  the  Harvest  Moon,  which  typifies 
the  season  when  the  life-giving  element  in  Nature 
goes  to  rest  for  the  Winter,  I  have  already  described. 
It  is  intermixed  with  legends  and  practices  that  destroy 
its  original  meaning ;  but  the  ceremony  to  the  awak- 

250 


Religious  Rites  in  China 

ening  of  Spring  has  not  departed  from  its  original 
intention,  and  is  simpler  and  nearer  Nature.  The 
awakening  of  Spring,  the  day  when  the  sap  is  sup- 
posed to  stir  from  its  long  sleep  and  to  feel  the  first 
throes  of  renewed  life,  is  commemorated  in  a  pretty, 
homely  ceremony  at  the  Palace.  The  radish  and 
young  shoots  of  lettuce,  the  first  vegetables  to  receive 
the  benefit  of  the  rising  sap,  are  presented  on  a  silver 
salver  to  Her  Majesty  by  a  kneeling  eunuch.  She 
partakes  of  them,  and  then  gives  them  to  the  young 
Empress  and  Ladies  to  taste  of.  When  Her  Majesty 
raises  the  first  radish  to  her  lips,  the  young  Empress, 
Princesses,  and  Ladies  assembled  in  her  Throne-room, 
repeat  the  wish  for  Imperial  happiness,  synonymous 
with  "National  prosperity."  This  wish  is  echoed  by  the 
high  attendants  in  the  ante-chamber,  and  reechoed 
by  the  eunuchs  kneeling  in  the  courts  without,  and 
still  echoed  and  reechoed  by  every  inmate  of  the 
Palace,  until  the  waves  of  sound  reach  to  the  outer 
walls.  Then  Her  Majesty  makes  a  wish  that  the  sap 
may  rise  in  such  abundance  as  to  produce  a  fruitful 
season,  that  all  the  people  of  the  Great  Empire  may 
enjoy  peace  and  plenty. 

Thus  are  these  first  fruits  of  the  awakening 
Spring  partaken  of  with  a  simple  ceremony  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving.  Thus  are  these  homely  plants 
consecrated  with  wishes  made  for  the  good  of  the 
country  and  the  happiness  of  its  rulers.  It  was  to 
me  a  beautiful  ceremony,  so  simple  that  it  brought 
these  people  with  all  their  conventions  and  all  their 
forms  very  near  the  heart  itself  of  Nature. 

The  annual  plowing  of  a  furrow  and  sowing  of  the 

251 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

first  seeds  of  the  year  by  the  Emperor,  the  planting 
of  a  mulberry  tree  (to  nourish  the  silkworms)  by  the 
Empress,  are  other  touches  of  Nature  which  show 
how  near  the  Chinese  are  to  the  heart  of  things.  One 
of  the  honorary  offices  which  is  considered  a  great 
mark  of  Imperial  favor,  and  which  the  highest  ladies 
of  the  land  receive  with  reverent  gratitude,  is  to  be 
appointed  "Guardian  of  the  Cocoons";  for  the  silk 
industry  is  one  of  the  great  sources  of  National  pros- 
perity in  China.  These  ladies  of  high  degree,  guardians 
of  the  cocoons,  go  in  annual  pilgrimage  to  the  mul- 
berry groves,  where  the  cocoons  flourish,  to  make 
sacrifices  and  prayers  for  the  health  and  growth  of 
the  cocoon.  Being  so  near  to  Nature,  the  Chinese  are 
naturally  a  pastoral  people,  a  race  of  agriculturists ; 
and  agriculture,  being  thus  honored  by  the  Sacred 
Persons  of  Their  Majesties,  becomes  a  lofty  ideal. 
Labor,  which  the  Emperor  publicly  performs,  loses 
all  taint  and  grows  into  an  Inspiration. 


252 


CHAPTER  XXX 

HER  MAJESTY  THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER 

current  story  that  the  Empress  Dowager  was 
a  slave-girl  and  is  of  low  origin  is  absolutely 
false.  Her  Majesty  is  the  daughter  of  a  Lieutenant- 
General  of  the  Manchu  forces,  a  position  only  attain- 
able by  members  of  the  highest  Manchu  nobility.  She 
belongs  to  the  family  of  the  White  Banner,  second 
only  to  that  of  the  Yellow  Banner,  of  which  the 
Emperor  of  China,  himself,  is  the  head.  At  the  time 
of  the  conquest  of  China  by  the  Manchus,  there  was 
a  fierce  struggle  between  these  two  powerful  families 
for  the  supremacy,  and  the  Yellow  Banner  finally  car- 
ried the  day.  The  Empress  Dowager  was  brought  up 
with  great  care  and  highly  educated  by  her  father,  a 
noble  of  great  acquirements. 

Like  all  young  Manchu  ladies  of  rank,  she  went  to 
the  Palace  for  presentation  to  the  then  Empress  and 
Empress  Dowager  between  the  ages  of  seventeen 
and  twenty.  She  immediately  attracted  them  by  her 
cleverness  and  wit,  as  well  as  by  her  charm  and  beauty, 
and,  being  of  an  honorable  and  high  Manchu  family, 
was  at  once  considered  as  a  possible  wife  for  the  Em- 
peror. On  presentation  to  the  Emperor,  she  met 
also  with  his  approval  and  was  then  chosen  as  one 

253 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

of  the  wives  and  given  her  establishment  at  Court. 
She  was  the  fifth  chosen,  and  hence  ranked  fifth  on 
her  marriage  and  was  taken  precedence  of  by  the  four 
others  who  were  married  before  she  was. 

She  became  at  once  a  favorite,  both  with  the  Dow- 
ager Empress  and  Empress,  the  first  wife,  as  well  as 
with  the  Emperor.  She  soon  took  precedence  over 
the  wife  just  over  her  and  became  fourth  wife,  for 
secondary  wives  can  mount  in  degree.  A  brilliant 
woman,  with  exceptional  qualities,  takes  her  place  in 
a  Chinese  family,  as  in  the  world,  above  that  of  her 
less  endowed  sister,  unless  this  latter  should  be  the 
first  wife.  Her  place  can  never  be  taken,  except  in 
case  of  her  death.  The  first  wife  of  the  Emperor 
Hsien-Feng  died  two  months  before  he  came  to  the 
Throne  and  was  never  Empress.  There  were  two  years 
of  mourning,  prescribed  by  the  rites,  during  which 
time  there  was  no  official  Empress.  Then  the  first  of 
his  secondary  wives  was  made  Empress,  and  she  it  was 
who  was  the  first  wife  when  the  present  Empress 
Dowager  went  into  the  Palace  as  fifth  wife. 

Two  years  after  her  marriage,  she  gave  birth  to  a 
son,  and  five  years  later,  on  the  death  of  his  father, 
this  son  became  the  Emperor  Tung-Chih ;  the  young 
mother,  together  with  the  Empress,  the  first  wife,  who 
had  adopted  him,  were  given  the  title  of  "  Dowager 
Empress."  They  were  appointed  Co-Regents  for  the 
boy  Emperor,  and  bore,  respectively,  the  titles  of 
Empress  of  the  Eastern  Palace  and  Empress  of  the 
Western  Palace,  with  equal  rank  and  power.  She  of 
the  Eastern  Palace  was  a  woman  of  quiet  tastes, 
given  to  literary  pursuits,  with  none  of  the  remark- 

254 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

able  executive  ability  of  her  Co-Regent,  the  Empress 
of  the  Western  Palace,  the  great  Tze-Hsi,  who  still 
rules  the  destiny  of  China.  Though  so  different,  they 
lived  amicably  together,  thoroughly  appreciated  each 
other's  qualities,  and  are  said  to  have  had  a  sincere  af- 
fection for  each  other,  which  never  weakened  during 
the  whole  of  their  long  association,  first  as  wives  of 
the  Emperor  Hsien-Feng,  then  as  Regents  for  his  son, 
and  afterward  as  Regents  for  the  present  Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu.  The  amicable  relations  of  these  two 
Empresses  were  only  severed  by  the  death  of  the 
Empress  of  the  Eastern  Palace  in  1881,  when  posthu- 
mous honors  were  lavished  upon  her  by  the  pres- 
ent Empress  Dowager. 

China  was  passing  through  troublous  times  when 
the  young  Tung-Chih,  son  of  the  Empress  Dowager, 
came  to  the  Throne.  His  father,  the  Emperor  Hsien- 
Feng  died  at  Jehol,  far  from  Peking,  where  the  Court 
had  gone  at  the  approach  of  the  foreigners,  who  were 
aiding  in  quelling  the  Taiping  rebellion.  The  times 
were  critical.  The  integrity  of  China,  the  future, 
even,  of  the  Empire,  depended  upon  the  action  of  its 
ministers  and  its  rulers  at  this  crisis.  In  the  ab- 
sence of  the  Court  from  Peking,  some  reactionary 
ministers,  strongly  anti-foreign,  claimed  they  had 
been  appointed  by  the  late  Emperor  as  Regents  for 
young  Tung-Chih.  Had  his  mother  and  adopted 
mother,  the  two  Empress  Dowagers,  joined  them,  an- 
archy might  have  followed ;  and,  at  least,  there  would 
have  been  serious  foreign  complications,  for  this  anti- 
foreign  party  would  never  have  come  to  terms  with 
the  foreigners,  who  were  then  in  Peking.  It  was 

255 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

most  important  for  the  ruling  Power,  that  is,  the 
party  which  should  become  Regents,  to  have  the  sup- 
port of  the  Empresses  who  held  the  Sacred  Person 
of  the  young  Emperor,  under  their  care.  They  were 
approached  by  both  parties.  The  young  Empress 
of  the  Western  Palace,  absolutely  unversed  in  State- 
craft, and,  up  to  that  time,  ignorant  of  all  that  was 
passing  outside  the  Palace  walls,  showed  wonderful 
perspicacity  and  rare  judgment  in  her  keen  grasp  of 
the  situation  at  this  time.  She  repudiated  the  anti- 
foreign  party  and  joined  forces  with  Prince  Kung, 
whose  name  was  then  synonymous  with  Progress  in 
China  —  an  enlightened  Prince  and  the  most  pro-for- 
eign of  all  the  Imperial  Family  —  and  she  and  the 
first  Empress  were  appointed  Regents  for  the  young 
Emperor.  Prince  Kung  was  the  Minister  who,  thanks 
to  this  cooperation  of  the  Empress  of  the  Western 
Palace,  carried  the  negotiations  with  France  and  Eng- 
land to  a  successful  conclusion. 

This  first  political  act  of  the  young  Empress  of  the 
Western  Palace  brought  her  into  immediate  notice, 
and  showed  the  progressive  statesmen  of  China  that 
they  had  an  intelligent  aid  in  her.  The  Grand  Coun- 
cil and  the  Princes  of  the  Imperial  Family  at  once  rec- 
ognized her  superior  ability  and  they  have  always 
stanchly  supported  her  throughout  her  career  and 
remained  true  to  her  in  all  vicissitudes.  In  fact,  she 
has  known  how  to  inspire  loyalty  and  great  devotion 
in  all  by  whom  she  has  been  surrounded. 

It  was  through  her  wonderful  grasp  of  the  situation 
at  this  time  and  the  great  executive  ability  she  showed 
later,  that  the  two  Empresses  brought  the  Emperor 

256 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

Tung-Chili  through  his  minority,  and  when  he  began 
to  reign  in  his  eighteenth  year,  internal  troubles  had 
been  quelled  and  foreign  complications  avoided,  and 
China  was  in  a  much  more  settled  and  prosperous 
condition  than  when  he  came  to  the  Throne,  twelve 
years  before. 

There  was  an  interval  of  but  two  years  in  their 
long  Regency  for  the  two  Emperors,  when  the 
Emperor  Tung-Chih,  having  reached  his  majority, 
reigned.  The  death  of  her  son,  the  Emperor,  at  the 
early  age  of  twenty,  after  only  two  years  of  actual 
reigning,  was  a  dreadful  blow  to  the  Empress  of  the 
Western  Palace.  She  had,  however,  but  a  short  time 
for  grief.  With  heart  bleeding  and  sore,  she  was 
obliged  almost  immediately  to  again  assume  the  duties 
of  Co-Regent  with  the  Empress  of  the  Eastern  Palace, 
for  her  nephew  and  adopted  son,  the  young  Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu.  The  two  Empresses  had  then  another 
boy  Emperor  only  five  years  old,  to  protect,  prepare 
for  reigning,  and  to  govern  for. 

One  has  only  to  be  cognizant  of  events  in  China 
since  the  Dowager  Empress  Tze-Hsi  has  ruled,  to  know 
the  facts  of  her  government.  When  she  took  up  the 
Regency,  China  was  seething  with  rebellion  and  there 
were  foreign  complications,  requiring  great  tact  and 
keen  intelligence.  She  has  steered  the  ship  of  State 
between  the  two  extremes,  though  she  has  sometimes 
run  it  against  the  rocks  of  Scylla  in  trying  to  avoid  the 
whirlpool  of  Charybdis,  and  she  has  always  been  a 
"  moderate  "  in  her  political  course.  China  having,  for 
so  many  centuries,  had  no  relations  with  foreign  powers, 
her  statesmen  being  so  absolutely  unversed  in  mod- 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

ern  methods  of  diplomacy,  has  not  made  a  brilliant 
record  in  her  foreign  relations,  and  she  has  so  fre- 
quently been  made  the  dupe  of  European  diplomacy, 
it  is  not  wonderful  China  has  tried  to  defend  herself 
by  duplicity :  using  what  she  thought  the  same  methods 
she  saw  were  so  efficacious  in  the  hands  of  Europeans. 

When  the  Empress  Dowager  gave  up  the  reins  of 
government  to  the  Emperor  Kwang-Hsu,  in  the  year 
1889,  after  twenty-eight  years  of  Regency,  the  Great 
Empire  was  at  that  time  in  a  prosperous  condition.  Its 
ports  had  been  opened  to  foreign  trade,  a  fine  Customs 
organization  had  been  established  upon  a  firm  basis, 
and  China  was  at  peace  with  the  world. 

The  first  part  of  the  young  Emperor's  reign  was  un- 
eventful. He  was  directed  in  most  things  by  his  min- 
isters, and  followed  the  moderate  policy  laid  down  by 
the  Empress  Dowager.  He  seemed  to  have  no  special 
views  of  his  own  and  no  designs  of  progress  for  China. 
Until  the  war  with  Japan  with  reference  to  the  suzer- 
ainty of  Corea,  in  1894,  he  was  a  passive  figurehead. 
The  Japanese  victories  changed  all  this.  Their  vic- 
tory gave  China  one  of  her  most  humiliating  les- 
sons ;  for  the  Chinese,  who  had  given  Japan  the  nucleus 
of  its  literature,  its  art  and  architecture,  looked  down 
upon  the  Japanese  as  a  race  of  imitators  and  had  a  deep- 
seated  contempt  for  them  as  a  nation.  This  victory 
almost  awoke  the  passive  leviathan— that  is,  China— 
from  its  long  sleep  of  national  self -content.  The  young 
Emperor,  smarting  under  this  galling  defeat,  felt  that 
China  had  only  been  conquered  by  Japan's  use  of 
modern  methods  of  warfare  and  determined  on  sweep- 
ing reforms  in  the  government.  Full  of  youthful  en- 

258 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

thusiasm,  he  felt  he  could  put  the  Great  Empire  on  the 
road  to  progress  and  wished  to  institute  sweeping  re- 
forms in  all  departments.  He  immediately  abandoned 
the  moderate  policy  of  the  Regency  and  surrounded 
himself  by  a  number  of  hot-headed,  self-seeking  re- 
formers, each  pushing  some  new  method  of  reform. 
The  reformers  wished,  at  one  fell  swoop,  to  change  the 
system  of  education,  the  system  of  government— in 
fact  to  make  such  sweeping  changes  that  this  conserva- 
tive nation  would  have  risen  in  a  mass  had  they  been 
carried  out.  Besides  the  Radicals, who  were  the  reform 
party,  there  were  also  a  number  of  discontents  among 
the  ultra-Conservatives,  who,  seeing  the  Emperor's  anx- 
iety and  desire  for  change,  began  to  push  forward  cer- 
tain schemes  of  their  own.  Finally,  the  ultra-conser- 
vatives and  reactionaries  decided  they  would  join 
forces  with  the  Radicals,  hoping  by  so  doing  to  change 
the  National  policy  and  the  then  existing  state  of  gov- 
ernment. In  the  turmoil  that  would  follow  this  up- 
heaval, each  hoped  to  carry  out  his  own  designs,  quite 
different  in  scope.  Each  party  made  the  Emperor 
believe  that  progress  was  its  aim.  The  coalition  of 
these  two  diametrically  opposed  parties  was  for  the 
purpose  of  persuading  the  Emperor  to  depart  from  the 
moderate  opportunist  policy  which  had  been  the  mo- 
tive power  of  the  Empress  Dowager's  regime.  The  ad- 
herents of  the  Reform  party  were  opposed  to  this  mod- 
erate policy  because  it  was  too  conservative.  Those 
of  the  Reactionaries  objected  to  it  because  it  was  too 
progressive.  The  power  of  the  central  government 
vested  in  the  young  Emperor  seemed  likely  to  be 
crushed  between  these  two  self-seeking  factions. 

259 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

China's  wisest  statesmen  saw  the  peril,  sought  the 
Empress  Dowager,  beseeched  her  to  return  from  her 
retirement  and,  for  the  salvation  of  China,  to  give 
the  Empire  again  the  benefit  of  her  wise  counsels. 
When  she  realized  the  danger  she  returned.  Such 
is  the  ascendancy  of  the  "ancestor"  in  China,  the 
Emperor  could  not  refuse  to  accept  the  counsel  of  his 
August  Ancestress,  thus  forced  upon  him.  He  issued 
an  edict  in  which  he  recalled  "  that  Her  Majesty  the 
Empress  Dowager  has  on  two  occasions  taken  the  reins 
of  government,  with  great  success,  at  most  critical  times. 
In  all  she  has  done,  Her  Majesty  has  been  moved  by  a 
deep  regard  for  the  welfare  of  the  Empire.  I  have  im- 
plored Her  Majesty  to  be  graciously  pleased  to  advise 
me  in  government,  and  I  have  received  her  assent." 
The  Emperor's  authority  was  not  wrested  from  him— 
he  was  not  deposed.  He  still  remained  the  Emperor 
of  China ;  but  the  Empress  Dowager's  counsels  were 
forced  upon  him,  he  could  not  but  accept  them,  and  she 
became  once  more  the  real  Ruler  of  China.  This  was 
what  foreigners  call  the  "  coup  d'etat"  of  1898. 

Her  Majesty's  keenness  of  insight  and  fine  judg- 
ment (as  far  as  Chinese   questions  are  concerned), 
served  her  well  again  in  this  crisis.    She  dismissed  not 
only  the  self-seeking  Radicals,  but  the  self-seeking 
ultra-Conservatives.     Such  of  the  Reformers  as  were 
caught  were  tried,  convicted  of  treason,  summarily 
and  cruelly  punished.     Those  who  escaped,  among 
them  Rang- Yu- Wei,  the  ringleader  of  the  Reformers, 
f   were  outlawed.   The  leader  of  the  ultra-Conservatives, 
y  the  Emperor's  tutor,  was  not  beheaded,  but  was  sent 
1    I  into  exile ;  for  a  tutor  in  China  occupies  almost  the 

260 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

position  of  a  parent  to  his  pupil,  and  this  position 
exempted  him  from  more  cruel  punishment.  These 
summary  proceedings  on  the  part  of  the  Moderates, 
led  by  Her  Majesty,  were  considered  by  the  foreign- 
ers, who  were  altogether  in  sympathy  with  the  Reform- 
ers, as  a  reversion  to  anti-progress  ideas,  and  hence 
were  considered  anti-foreign.  It  certainly  was  an 
"  anti-reform "  movement  that  caused  the  "  coup 
d'etat"  of  1898,  but  had  the  adherents  of  the  so- 
called  reformer  Kang-Yu-Wei,  whose  subsequent 
career  has  proven  how  self-seeking  he  was,  carried 
the  day ;  had  his  sweeping  measures  been  inaugurated, 
it  might  have  brought  China  into  a  state  of  anarchy 
and  would  certainly  have  been  most  pernicious  to  the 
Nation,  for  she  was  not  ready  for  the  drastic  measures 
the  Reformers  advocated,  and  the  great  mass  of  the 
people  would  have  rebelled  against  them. 

The  "  coup  d'6tat "  and  the  consequent  check  upon 
the  Emperor's  dreams  of  progress  was  a  great  blow  to 
him.  He  was  not  only  chagrined  at  the  failure  of  his 
efforts  for  reform,  by  which  he  hoped  to  show  the 
world  that  China  still  counted  as  a  power  and  to  retal- 
iate upon  Japan,  but  he  was  also  profoundly  discour- 
aged when  he  discovered  the  real  nature  and  designs  of 
his  chosen  instruments.  He  saw  that  he  had  been  over- 
sanguine  in  hoping  to  realize  at  once  his  enthusiastic 
dreams  for  the  immediate  rehabilitation  of  China's 
prestige ;  he  saw  that  his  ardent  desire  for  progress 
was  not  enough,  and  that  to  hope  to  reform  in  a_few 
years  the  century-old  traditions  of  his  most  conserva- 
tive people  was  but  the  wild  irrealizable  dream  of 
youth,  and  absolutely  impracticable.  Though  he 

26l 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

knew  he  had  been  led  away  by  his  wishes  for  reform 
to  expect  the  impossible,  the  disappointment  was  none 
the  less  severe  and  was  most  depressing  to  his 
sensitive  nature.  The  reaction  took  place.  His  never- 
too-strong  constitution  broke  down  under  the  strain, 
and  this  breaking  down  of  his  health  lent  color  to  the 
reports,  which  were  immediately  circulated  among  Her 
Majesty's  enemies  as  well  as  among  the  foreigners, 
that  the  Empress  Dowager  was  trying  to  kill  the  Em- 
peror! She  was  reported  to  have  imprisoned  him, 
was  said  to  be  trying  to  poison  him  at  one  time  and 
at  another  to  starve  him  to  death — the  nephew 
she  had  brought  up  through  a  delicate  boyhood  and 
whom  she  cherished  as  her  own  son  !  Time  has  shown 
the  truth  of  these  reports,  for,  had  she  so  desired,  she 
would  have  had  no  difficulty  in  accomplishing  his 
death.  She  had  any  number  of  instruments  at  her 
hand,  fanatically  loyal  to  her  and  ready  to  carry  out 
any  of  her  wishes. 

She  still  "  assists "  the  Emperor  in  ruling ;  and, 
according  to  Chinese  tradition,  she,  being  his  "  ances- 
tor," must  always  take  the  first  place.  She  sits  upon 
the  Throne,  he  upon  a  chair  at  her  side.  It  would  be 
improper,  according  to  all  Chinese  law,  were  it  other- 
wise. The  foreigners  speak  of  the  Empress  Dowager 
forcing  the  Emperor  to  stand  in  her  presence  and  to 
sit  upon  a  stool  while  she  occupies  the  Throne.  It  is 
not  Her  Majesty  who  forces  him  to  do  this,  it  is  an 
immutable  thousand-year-old  tradition  in  China  that 
a  son  must  take  a  lower  place  than  his  parent  in  his 
presence,  be  he  Emperor  or  peasant.  The  Empress 
Dowager  still  reigns.  The  times  are  still  too  troub- 

262 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

lous  for  her  to  withdraw  her  experience  from  the 
councils  of  State,  and  though  longing  for  the  quiet 
and  rest  so  necessary  to  a  woman  of  her  age,  and 
though  really  anxious  to  retire,  she  feels  the  time  has 
not  yet  come. 

The  Empress  Dowager,  having  crushed  the  Reform- 
ers, and  reseated  herself  upon  the  Throne,  was,  from 
the  time  of  the  "coup  d'6tat,"  considered  to  be  anti- 
foreign  and  responsible  for  all  the  attacks  upon 
foreigners  by  ignorant  Chinese  that  took  place  after 
that  event.  When,  only  two  years  after  the  "  coup 
d'etat,"  the  secret  society  of  the  Boxers  began  their 
sanguinary  attacks  upon  the  foreigners,  Her  Majesty 
was  considered  responsible  for  them,  was  looked  upon 
as  aiding  and  abetting  the  Boxers ;  and,  by  the  for- 
eigners at  least,  she  was  considered  to  be  the  high 
priestess  if  not  the  originator  of  the  order.  But  the 
Boxer  movement  had  no  such  high  origin.  It  started 
among  the  people,  the  humble  people,  in  the  North- 
ern provinces  of  China,  far  from  the  Capital,  and  had 
been  in  existence  for  a  number  of  years  before  the 
attack  upon  the  Legations  in  1900. 

The  open  contempt  of  many  of  the  foreigners 
living  in  China,  not  only  for  the  Chinese  as  a  race,  but 
for  their  most  cherished  customs  and  traditions ;  the 
fact  that  the  Chinese  converts  of  the  foreign  mission- 
aries may  break  Chinese  laws  and  still  not  be  amena- 
ble to  Chinese  punishment;  the  constantly  renewed 
demands  of  the  foreign  powers  for  territory,  for  the 
punishment  of  high  Chinese  officials  and  hundreds  of 
other  acts  that  no  body  of  foreigners  in  any  country 
but  China  would  dare  to  try  to  force  upon  the  people, 

263 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

finally  aroused  even  this  peaceable,  long-suffering 
Nation.1  The  worm  turned.  The  secret  society  of 
the  Boxers  took  "  China  for  the  Chinese "  as  its 
motto,  and  to  "  drive  out  the  foreigner,"  or,  at  least, 
curtail  his  rapidly  growing  power,  became  its  object. 
This  society  gained  in  force  and  grew  in  volume  until 
it  reached  the  Capital.  Here,  from  the  obscure  classes 
among  which  it  had  its  origin,  it  spread  to  the  upper 
stratum  of  society  and  had  followers  among  the  high- 
est in  the  land.  Certain  Princes  of  the  Imperial 
Family  even  joined  the  ranks— among  these  latter 
the  father  of  the  next  heir  to  the  Throne,  the  Prince 
TFuan.  These  gave  the  movement  an  added  force  and 
made  of  it  a  patriotic  effort. 

Then  from  smoldering  discontent,  it  burst  into 
open  acts  of  violence  against  the  foreigners.  The 
final  spark  which  caused  the  outbreak  in  the  Capital 
and  the  attack  upon  the  Legations  is  said  to  have 
been  the  report,  which  gained  immediate  credence 
among  the  discontents,  that  the  Foreign  Ministers 
were  going  to  interfere  with  the  Government  itself, 
and  ask  for  a  change  in  it;  that  they  were  to 
insist  upon  the  Empress  Dowager's  retiring  from  the 
management  of  State  affairs.  This  interference,  by 
the  foreigners,  with  the  sacred  prerogatives  of  China, 
as  a  Nation;  this  attempt  at  the  removal  of  the 
Person  of  one  of  its  Sacred  Rulers,  aroused  the 
people  to  a  wild  fury.  Without  waiting  to  find  out 
the  truth  of  this  report,  and  thinking,  in  their  blind 
ignorance,  that  by  getting  rid  of  the  representatives 
of  the  Foreign  Powers,  they  might  then  be  left  in 
peace,  the  mob  first  attacked  and  killed  the  German 

264 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

Minister,  the  Baron  von  Ketteler,  as  he  was  on  his 
way  to  the  Tsung  Li  Yamen,  which  the  Wai-Wu-Pu 
now  replaces.  Then  followed  the  general  attack  on 
the  Legations. 

The  movement  then  became  a  veritable  torrent, 
rushing  madly  along,  dashing  aside  all  opposition 
and  overwhelming  right  and  reason. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager,  power- 
ful and  autocratic  as  they  are,  could  not  stem  the 
current,  and  only  by  going  with  it  could  they  ever 
hope  to  bring  judgment  and  reason  to  the  surface 
again.  No  ruler  in  the  world  can  or  ever  has  been 
able  to  stop  an  uprising  of  his  people  when  the  lat- 
ter felt  they  had  right  on  their  side  or  had  been 
downtrodden  or  oppressed.  Their  Celestial  Majesties 
were  obliged  to  wait  until  the  popular  fury  had 
somewhat  abated  before  they  could  even  attempt  it. 
No  sane  person  could  believe  that  the  Empress  Dowa- 
ger, with  her  natural  intelligence  and  after  thirty  years 
of  government  and  knowledge  of  foreign  methods,  did 
not  know  that  this  attack  on  the  foreign  represen- 
tatives by  the  Chinese  people  would  bring  on  severe 
reprisals.  But  she  was  powerless  to  do  more  than 
she  did  at  the  time.  Their  Majesties  could  not  go 
against  the  people  in  their  maddened  state  of  mind. 
They  hoped  by  joining  the  Imperial  forces  to  the 
wild  insurgents  that  these  seething  masses  might  be 
brought  to  reason.  The  mob  was  given  a  semblance 
of  right  by  a  declaration  of  war  on  the  part  of  the 
government  after  the  forts  of  Taku  were  taken  by 
the  foreign  war-ships  (which  was  really  the  first 
act  of  war  of  this  unfortunate  episode). 

265 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

When  I  saw  the  position  of  the  Legation  quartet 
and  especially  that  of  the  British  Legation,  where 
all  the  foreigners  finally  congregated — open  to  attack 
on  every  side,  lying  under  the  very  walls  of  the 
Palace  and  the  Imperial  City — I  felt  convinced  that 
had  there  not  been  some  restraining  force  within 
their  own  ranks,  the  Chinese  could  have  wiped  out 
the  foreigners  in  less  than  a  week.  Bad  firing  on 
their  part  could  only  have  averted,  for  a  short  space, 
the  inevitable  result  to  the  Legations.  Had  there  not 
been  some  power  that  was  acting  as  a  check  upon 
the  Chinese,  no  European  would  have  been  left  to  tell 
the  tale ;  and  this  restraining  force  I  feel  confident 
came  from  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress  Dowager 
themselves. 

The  Empress  Dowager  (with  the  Emperor)  was  at 
the  Summer  Palace,  as  usual,  during  the  summer  of 
1900.  Though  urged  by  her  ministers  and  the 
Princes  to  remain  there,  where  she  was  out  of  danger 
or  could  easily  escape  at  its  approach,  she  insisted  on 
returning  to  the  Capital  and  went  into  the  Winter 
Palace  a  week  before  the  Allies  reached  the  city. 
She  hoped  as  a  "  dernier  resort "  that  the  presence 
of  the  Sacred  Persons,  Their  Majesties,  in  the  city 
might  serve  as  a  check  upon  the  soldiers  and  people, 
now  maddened  by  their  own  fury;  for  the  Imperial 
troops,  instead  of  checking  the  insurgents  and  leav- 
ening the  masses  by  their  right  and  reason,  had, 
instead,  become  imbued  with  the  same  spirit  as  the 
Boxers  themselves !  But  the  Empress  Dowager,  on 
this  occasion,  counted  too  strongly  on  her  popu- 
larity and  upon  the  respect  that  the  people  felt  for 

266 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  "  Sacred  Persons,"  for  even  after  their  return  to 
the  Capital,  even  Their  Majesties'  presence — even  the 
issuing  of  Imperial  edicts  posted  all  over  the  city  for 
the  people  to  protect,  or  at  least  cease  their  attacks 
on  the  Legations — were  powerless  to  do  more  than 
intermittently  check  the  attacks. 

Finally  the  Allies  reached  and  entered  the  city !  The 
Empress  Dowager,  discouraged  and  finding  herself 
powerless,  finally  succumbed  to  the  fears  of  her  entou- 
rage for  her  Person.  She,  herself,  became  almost  panic- 
stricken  at  the  thought  of  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  foreigners,  whose  depredations  and  cruelty  to  the 
Chinese  on  that  memorable  march  from  Tientsin  had 
all  been  reported  to  her  with  the  usual  exaggerations. 
Her  indomitable  spirit  was  broken.  She  consented, 
in  an  agony  of  womanly  fear,  to  fly.  She  was  disguised 
as  a  common  woman,  her  long  finger  nails,  which 
would  have  revealed  her  exalted  rank,  were  cut  off, 
and,  in  a  common  cart,  she  made  her  escape  from  the 

!  city.  As  she  had  refused  to  go  until  the  last  moment, 
everything  at  the  Palace  was  left  in  the  wildest  confu- 
sion.  Neither  her  jewelry,  nor  hardly  sufficient  cloth- 

-ling,  was  taken.  She  did  not  leave  the  Palace  until 
several  hours  after  the  foreign  troops  had  passed  the 
Water  Gate  and  were  already  within  the  walls  of 
the  English  Legation.  She  had  held  out  as  long  as 
possible. 

The  memorable  flight  to  Singan  Fu  began  that 
night.  The  Court  was  accompanied  by  a  regiment  of 
Imperial  troops,  but  such  was  their  demoralized  con- 
dition, so  many  Boxers  were  among  the  soldiers,  that 
rank  insubordination  prevailed.  Neither  the  officers, 

267 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

nor  even  the  presence  in  their  midst  of  the  Sacred 
Persons,  served  as  any  check  upon  the  soldiers.  The 
greatest  confusion  prevailed.  The  maddest  of  the  in- 
surgents had  begun  to  look  forward  to  retribution  and 
to  realize  that  punishment  would  be  inevitably  visited 
upon  them  either  by  the  foreigners  or  by  the  Chinese 
Government  when  things  calmed  down,  and  this 
thought  seemed  but  to  madden  them  further. 

As  the  flight  led  the  Imperial  party  through  the  sec- 
tion of  country  where  the  society  of  Boxers  had  the 
greatest  number  of  adherents,  the  people,  in  many  in- 
stances, refused  food  and  shelter  to  the  Imperial  fugi- 
tives. They  felt  the  Court  had  been  against  them  and 
for  the  foreigners.  Prince  Su,  in  his  account  of  the 
journey  to  Singan  Fu,  relates  that  neither  Her  Majesty 
nor  the  Emperor  had  enough  to  eat ;  that  the  soldiers 
stole  the  food  that  was  prepared  for  Their  Majesties. 
I  heard  at  the  Palace  that  it  was  only  His  Majesty  who 
suffered  the  pangs  of  hunger.  He,  as  well  as  all  in 
the  great  company  that  formed  the  Court  party,  de- 
prived himself  rather  than  see  the  Empress  Dowa- 
ger suffer.  I  heard  Her  Majesty  say  that  the  Em- 
peror's food  was  stolen,  and  she  did  not  know  for 
several  days  that  he  was  depriving  himself  for  her. 
She  thought  all  the  Imperial  party  had  her  own, 
meager  enough  allowance. 

The  Empress  Dowager  saw  and  heard  many  new 
and  strange  things  on  that  memorable  journey,  but 
she  bore  it  all  bravely.  After  the  first  panic  of  fear, 
her  indomitable  spirit  resumed  its  natural  poise.  Her 
capacity  for  seeing  the  humorous  side  of  things  also 
helped  her  to  bear  it,  and  furnished  her  with  a  fund 

268 


Her  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager 

of  witty  anecdotes  later,  though  she  once  remarked 
that,  at  the  time,  she  did  not  appreciate  the  humorous 
side  to  its  full  extent.  Their  experiences  at  this  time 
were  often  the  theme  of  conversation  among  the  Ladies 
at  the  Palace.  While  I  was  there  they  were  constantly 
referred  to  by  the  Princesses  and  even  by  the  eunuchs 
of  the  Court.  These  pampered  individuals  had  then 
their  first  experience  with  the  hardships  of  the  outer 
world,  though,  to  do  them  justice,  they  rarely  referred 
to  their  own  hardships,  which  must  have  been  severe, 
only  speaking  of  what  Their  Majesties  and  the  Ladies 
had  to  endure.  This  flight  from  Peking  to  Singan  Fu 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  Palace.  Everything  is  dated 
as  before  or  after  that  time.  After  Her  Majesty  had 
accomplished  this  perilous  journey  and  borne  it  so 
bravely,  she  was  given  a  new  title,  a  dearer,  higher  one.  , 
She  was  called  Lao-Tzu-Tzung  (the  Great  Ancestress) 
by  her  enthusiastic  admirers. 

l  Since  the  above  was  in  type  I  find  the  following  in  F.  Laur's 
"  Siege  de  Peking."  In  speaking  of  the  cause  of  the  Boxer  rising,  he 
quotes  Dr.  Matignon  as  saying : 

"  C'est  1'Europe  tout  entiere  qu'il  faut  mettre  en  cause.  C'est  parce 
qu'elle  n'a  pas  compris  les  Chinois,  c'est  parce  qu'elle  a  cru  que  ce 
peuple  doux,  somnolent,  passif ,  pouvait,  sans  regimber,  accepter  toutes 
les  innovations,  toutes  les  humiliations,  que  1'Europe  s'est  laissee  en- 
trainer,  et  par  ses  missionnaires,  et  par  ses  ing^nieurs.  .  .  . 

"  Voilfc  pourquoi  le  mouvement  Boxeur  s'est  produit.  Ce  mouve- 
ment,  c'est  Pe'veil  du  patriotisme  chinois,  avec  toute  1'intransigeance 
d'un  nationalisme  aveugle,  ignorant,  mais  legitime." 


269 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER'S  CHARITIES,  SENSE  OF  JUSTICE, 
EXTRAVAGANCE,  AND  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

THE  Empress  Dowager's  charities  are  extensive; 
she  feeds  the  poor  and  succors  the  unfortunate. 
When  her  sympathies  are  aroused,  she  gives  freely  and 
generously.  Her  edicts  are  constantly  ordering  sacks 
of  rice  and  food  to  be  distributed  among  the  poor 
and  sent  to  districts  where  famine  reigns.  There  is 
a  great  refuge  in  Peking,  which  she  supports,  where 
ten  thousand  poor  are  succored  and  fed  during 
the  year.  During  the  winter,  edicts  are  constantly 
appearing  similar  to  this— commanding  "The  dis- 
tribution from  the  Imperial  granaries  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred piculs  (133£  pounds  to  the  picul)  of  rice  for 
refuges  and  gruel  stations  for  the  poor  in  North 
Tung  Chow."  Edict  of  November  6,  1904. 

She  also  sympathizes  with  misfortune,  tries  to 
right  the  wrongs  she  knows  of,  and  correct  the  abuses 
that  come  to  her  ears.  From  the  "North  China 
Herald"  of  November  19,  1904,  I  copy  the  follow- 
ing, and  this  paper  cannot  be  accused  of  viewing  any 
of  Her  Majesty's  acts  with  a  partial  spirit  (much  to 
the  contrary) : 

"  During  the  Boxer  troubles  a  bad  character,  by  the  name  of 
Wang,  owed  money  to  a  certain  Chinese  Mohammedan.  Wang 

'  270 


The  Empress  Dowager's  Charities 

had  been  frequently  dunned,  and  was  finally  condemned  by  the 
courts  to  pay  the  debt ;  he  was,  besides,  ordered  to  be  beaten,  as 
he  had  been  insolent  to  the  Mandarin  trying  the  case.  This 
incensed  Wang,  and  he  swore  vengeance.  When  the  Boxer 
troubles  were  in  full  swing  in  Peking,  he  became  the  leader  of 
a  band  of  insurgents  and  led  his  band  to  the  house  of  the 
Mohammedan  whom  he  had  been  forced  by  the  courts  to  pay. 
Wang  and  his  band  massacred  not  only  his  old  enemy,  but 
eleven  members  of  his  family ;  leaving  only  a  young  daughter- 
in-law  who  had  hidden  in  a  loft  and  saw  the  whole  tragedy ;  she 
also  saw  them  march  off,  carrying,  on  spears,  the  heads  of  the 
old  man  and  four  of  his  sons. 

"  The  poor  daughter-in-law  escaped  from  Peking  soon  after, 
and  was  not  able  to  return  there  until  a  few  months  since,  in 
1904.  She  discovered  the  dwelling  of  the  murderer  of  her  hus- 
band's family,  and  had  a  petition  drawn  up  on  the  subject. 

"  One  day  when  Her  Majesty  was  proceeding  from  one  Palace 
to  another,  the  young  widow  threw  herself  before  the  Empress 
Dowager's  cortege.  Her  Majesty  saw  the  prostrate  girl  (only 
nineteen  years  of  age),  and  commanded  her  guards  to  ask  what 
she  wanted.  The  girl,  dressed  in  deep  mourning,  held  above 
her  head  her  petition,  calling  for  justice  against  her  husband's 
murderers.  Her  Majesty  read  the  petition,  and  her  brow  be- 
came black  as  night.  She  called  to  a  eunuch  in  her  train  and 
commanded  him  to  take  the  young  petitioner  and  her  petition 
to  the  'Board  of  Punishments,'  and  deliver  the  Imperial  Com- 
mands that  no  time  be  lost  in  arresting  the  murderers ;  that 
they  should  be  tried,  and  the  result  reported  to  Her  Majesty. 
This  was  done,  and  on  the  first  of  November,  1904,  the  chief 
murderer  Wang,  his  two  sons  and  a  nephew  were  decapitated 
to  expiate  their  cruel  crimes. " 

TheEmpressDowageris  said  to  be  recklessly  extrava- 
gant in  her  own  habits  as  well  as  in  the  management  of 
Palace  affairs.  As  for  extravagance  in  the  Palace, 
bad  management  doubtless  exists,  and  extravagance 
does  prevail.  Abuses  always  creep  in  where  the 
management  of  great  establishments  is  intrusted  to 

271 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

money-seeking  officials,  and  to  eunuchs,  as  is  the  case 
in  the  Palace  at  Peking. 

Extravagance  in  the  Palace  has  been  the  theme  of 
Chinese  economists  for  many  generations,  for  hun- 
dreds of  years  before  the  Manchu  Dynasty  came  to  the 
Throne.  Several  of  the  Emperors  have  themselves 
attempted  to  stem  this  extravagance  by  personal 
efforts  and  private  economy,  but  to  no  avail.  It  is 
related  of  one  Emperor  that  the  sleeve  of  his  State 
robe  being  a  little  worn,  he  called  up  his  Master  of 
the  Household  to  ask  what  a  new  robe  would  cost. 
He  found  that  it  would  cost  three  thousand  taels,  and 
as  only  the  right  sleeve  of  this  gown  was  worn  (as  he 
used  his  arm  a  great  deal  in  writing),  he  decided,  in 
order  that  he  might  himself  show  a  good  example,  and 
inaugurate  economy,  to  have  a  new  sleeve  made,  in- 
stead of  ordering  an  entire  gown.  He  gave  his  com- 
mands, in  consequence,  and  the  gown  was  taken  out 
of  the  Palace  and  remained  several  months.  When  it 
was  returned,  what  was  His  Majesty's  astonishment 
and  chagrin  to  find  that  the  cost  of  the  new  sleeve 
had  exceeded  that  of  a  new  gown ! 

In  his  walks  outside  of  the  Palace,  another  Emperor 
bought  an  article  of  food  for  a  few  pence.  The  next 
time  he  had  it  in  the  Palace  he  asked  what  the  dish 
cost  and  was  told  it  was  "  four  taels»"  When  he  re- 
monstrated, saying  what  he  had  paid  for  it  outside  of 
the  Palace,  his  Master  of  the  Household  told  him  it 
was  impossible  to  have  it  "  inside  "  the  Palace  or  on 
His  Majesty's  table  at  any  less  than  the  sum  of  four 
taels.  If  His  Majesty  wished  it  for  a  few  pence,  His 
Majesty  might  buy  it  outside  the  Palace  and  bring 

272 


Her  Extravagance 


it  in  himself  for  that  sum,  but  no  one  else  could 
bring  it  inside  for  the  price  it  could  be  bought  out- 
side, as  it  had  to  go  through  so  many  official  hands 
before  it  reached  His  Majesty's  table,  that  it  actually 
cost  the  sum  of  four  taels. 

After  several  efforts  of  this  kind  at  reducing  the 
Palace  expenses,  even  these  wise  and  economical  Em- 
perors were  obliged  to  give  it  up.  If  these  Emperors 
of  ancient  times,  when  the  Palace  was  conducted  on 
more  simple  lines  than  it  is  to-day,  were  powerless  to 
check  extravagance  in  the  Imperial  household,  how 
much  more  difficult  must  it  be  to  do  so  now  that  the 
system  has  become  petrified  with  age— especially  for 
the  Empress  Dowager,  who  can  never  go  outside  and 
see  things  for  herself !  It  is  said  that  each  egg  at 
Their  Majesties'  table  costs  three  taels,  but  Palace  re- 
form, necessary  as  it  is,  must  come  from  without, 
from  the  officials,  and  no  private  effort  of  Their  Maj- 
esties can  change  things. 

As  for  the  Empress  Dowager's  personal  extrava- 
gance, aside  from  present-giving,  I  saw  no  evidence  of 
it.  Her  wardrobe,  in  point  of  actual  cost,  aside  from 
her  jewels,  would  not  be  superior  in  price  to  that  of  the 
wives  of  some  of  our  American  millionaires ;  for  the 
styles  do  not  change  in  China,  and  furs  and  embroi- 
deries are  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation. 
Her  jewels,  even,  are  not  more  gorgeous  or  more  numer- 
ous, though  they  are  more  unique,  than  those  of  any  of 
the  European  sovereigns.  She  has  an  immense  num- 
ber of  pearls— for  the  pearl  is  her  favorite  precious 
stone,  besides  being  the  jewel  of  the  Dynasty— but  she 
has  no  diamonds,  no  emeralds,  and  very  few  European 

273 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

precious  stones.  She  has  a  quantity  of  fine  jade  jewels, 
but  these,  as  well  as  pearls,  are  cheaper  in  China  than 
elsewhere. 

I  saw  several  incidents  which  seemed  to  point 
rather  to  personal  economy  on  Her  Majesty's  part 
than  to  extravagance.  While  I  was  painting  one  of 
the  portraits,  she  decided  that  the  trimming  on  the 
gown  must  be  changed.  She  had  bolts  of  different 
kinds  of  ribbon  brought  in  to  select  from  and  finally 
decided  upon  a  certain  piece.  She  called  a  maid  to 
sew  some  around  the  neck.  When  I  wanted  to  have 
this  piece  cut  off,  so  that  some  might  be  sewed 
around  the  hem  where  it  was  also  visible,  she  said  the 
ribbon  had  better  not  be  cut,  for  it  was  a  "  hand- 
some piece,"  and,  if  cut,  it  might  spoil  it  for  use  in 
"  trimming  another  gown."  These  pieces  of  ribbon  and 
embroidery  come  in  lengths  for  one  dress  only.  One 
day  when  she  was  drinking  some  fruit  juice,  her  hand 
slipped  on  the  polished  jade  bowl  and  some  of  it  fell 
upon  the  front  of  her  jacket.  She  was  most  annoyed, 
and  after  several  ineffectual  attempts  of  her  own  and 
the  attendants  to  remove  the  spot,  she  said  she  had 
heard  that  the  foreigners  had  some  wonderful  proc- 
esses of  cleaning  and  she  must  have  them  investi- 
gated, for  it  was  too  bad  to  have  a  thing  spoiled  by 
an  accident  of  that  kind  when  a  good  garment  was 
rendered  useless  for  any  one ! 

She  had  the  good  of  China  at  heart  and  was  really 
a  patriot ;  in  fact,  I  observed  more  patriotism,  more 
National  pride  among  the  people  I  saw  at  Court,  than 
I  ever  noticed  elsewhere  in  China.  I  feel  convinced 
the  Empress  Dowager  has  strong  National  feeling  and 

274 


Personal  Characteristics 

really  loves  her  country,  and  is  as  patriotic  a  Chinese 
as  there  is  in  China.  When  there  were  internal 
troubles,  or  exterior  complications,  she  seemed  to  be 
really  worried  and  to  grieve,  as  if  it  were  a  personal 
thing.  She  made  mistakes,  of  course,  and  grave 
ones,  but  when  it  is  remembered  that  her  knowledge 
of  what  takes  place  "  outside,"  comes  entirely  from 
the  reports  made  to  her,  that  she  has  no  opportunity 
of  seeing  things  for  herself,  it  seems  wonderful  she 
does  not  make  more. 

Last  winter  a  new  scheme  of  taxation,  by  which  the 
revenue  would  be  largely  increased  and  which  taxa- 
tion would  be  scarcely  felt  by  the  people,  was  pre- 
sented to  Their  Majesties  for  consideration.  Her  Maj- 
esty soon  grasped  the  entire  scope  of  the  scheme 
and  thought  it  good  and  feasible ;  but  though  the  pay- 
ment of  the  foreign  indemnity  made  it  imperative  to 
increase  the  revenue  by  every  means  possible,  she 
hesitated  over  the  inauguration  of  this  new  scheme, 
fearing  it  might  give  the  officials  a  new  opportunity 
to  oppress  the  common  people,  for  it  is  not  the  laws 
that  oppress  the  people  in  China.  This  is  done  by  the 
officials  who  enforce  them.  She  evidently  realized 
this  power  that  the  officials  have  of  "  squeezing  "  the 
people,  and  she  wished  to  be  assured  of  the  manner 
in  which  this  taxation  would  be  enforced  before  she 
gave  her  consent  to  the  scheme.  At  the  first  presen- 
tation to  her  of  this  plan  of  taxation,  she  repeated 
several  times,  "  I  fear  it  may  harass  the  people ;  we 
cannot  harass  the  people ;  they  have  enough  burdens 
to  bear."  She  was  not  so  particular  about  not 
harassing  the  Officials,  for  tliey  were  called  upon  all 

275 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

over  China  to  make  great  contributions  to  the 
Imperial  Treasury  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in 
paying  the  foreign  indemnity. 

Notwithstanding  her  penetration  of  character,  her 
naturally  good  judgment,  she  made  mistakes  in  her 
appreciation  of  those  who  surrounded  her ;  but  this 
was  not  strange,  for  she  had  almost  no  opportunity 
of  seeing  them  in  their  true  light.  She  was  a  good 
physiognomist,  but  one  cannot  always  trust  to  phys- 
iognomy. She  was  in  the  habit  of  giving  all  who  sur- 
rounded her  a  certain  amount  of  latitude,  until  they 
came  to  rely  on  her  favor  and  revealed  themselves  in 
their  true  light  to  her.  Then  she  would  quickly  suppress 
them  or  cast  them  aside.  This  often  seemed  cruel  and 
heartless.  She  sometimes  would  take  another's  estimate 
of  a  character  which  she  had  favorably  judged,  for,  of 
course,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  jealousy  and  intrigue 
among  her  entourage,  and  she  was  influenced  by  re- 
ports that  she  heard ;  for  she  was  obliged,  in  order  to 
form  an  opinion,  to  listen  to  the  gossip  of  the  Palace. 
Her  own  penetration,  however,  would  generally  come 
to  her  aid  and,  in  the  end,  her  judgment  would  right 
itself. 

She  had  strong  prejudices,  and  often  allowed  herself 
to  be  deceived  by  the  favorites  to  whom  she  had  given 
her  confidence.  After  several  preliminary  trials  of 
their  character,  and  when  she  thought  she  had  arrived 
at  a  proper  estimate  of  it,  she  was  an  easy  victim. 
These  favorites  could  then  act  with  impunity,  and  she 
was  sometimes  made  the  dupe  of  their  schemes.  Thus 
Ministers,  courtiers,  friends,  and  attendants,  who  had 
once  thoroughly  established  their  positions  with  her, 

276 


Personal  Characteristics 

could  often  get  the  advantage  of  her  and  impose  upon 
her  natural  acumen. 

She  could  be  most  sarcastic,  sometimes  cruelly  so, 
but  I  generally  found  there  was  some  reason  for  her 
sarcasm.  She  was  very  impulsive  and  had  her  share 
of  temper,  but  there  was  never  any  unladylike  display 
of  it.  When  she  was  angry  her  voice  was  never 
raised ;  it  simply  lost  its  silvery  sweetness  and  took 
the  quality  of  some  ordinary  metal,  and  she  was  always 
quiet  and  well-bred. 

From  what  I  saw  of  the  Empress  Dowager,  it  seemed 
to  me  she  would  not  brook  interference  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  a  design  she  had  set  her  heart  upon— 
that  she  would  not  hesitate  even  at  crushing  an  in- 
dividual who  stood  in  the  way  of  the  realization  of 
some  plan  she  had  fixed  upon.  But  her  judgment  was 
so  good,  she  did  not  decide  upon  a  thing  unless  she 
felt  it  was  absolutely  imperative  to  carry  it  out. 

As  for  tact  and  social  savoir,  she  is  remarkable.  I 
never  knew  any  one  to  possess  these  qualities  to  a 
greater  degree.  At  her  first  Audience  to  foreigners, 
Sir  Claude  MacDonald,  in  reporting  it,  spoke  of  the 
Empress  Dowager  as  "  a  kind  and  courteous  hostess, 
who  displayed  both  the  tact  and  softness  of  a  womanly 
disposition."  Lady  Susan  Townley  says  of  her: 
"  Where  has  she  learned  the  ease  and  dignity  with 
which  she  receives  her  European  guests  ? "  These  opin- 
ions of  her  social  tact,  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  are  held  by 
all  the  members  of  the  Foreign  Legations  in  Peking. 

When  the  young  Prince  Adalbert  of  Prussia  was  re- 
ceived in  special  Audience  by  Their  Majesties,  on  his 
visit  to  Peking,  he  was  accompanied  not  only  by  the 

277 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

German  Minister  and  his  staff,  but  by  a  number  of  of- 
ficers as  his  personal  escort.  This  made  an  unusually 
large  number  of  presentations  necessary.  I  have  been 
told  that  at  the  Audiences  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps, 
where  only  gentlemen  were  present,  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager had  a  sort  of  shyness  and  did  not  show  the  same 
ease  of  manner  as  when  she  received  the  ladies.  But 
at  this  Audience  of  the  young  Prince  she  became  in- 
terested in  talking  with  him,  and  I  heard  one  of  the 
gentlemen  who  was  present  say  it  was  the  first  time 
he  had  seen  Her  Majesty  thoroughly  at  ease  at  one  of 
the  Audiences  to  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and  that  on 
that  day  she  was  perfectly  charming,  seeming  to  take 
the  liveliest  interest  in  questioning  the  young  Prince 
and  conversing  with  him  in  a  motherly  way,  and  that 
he  then  realized  to  its  full  extent  her  wonderful  charm 
and  her  great  social  instinct. 

I  have  heard  it  said  that  the  Empress  Dowager  puts 
all  this  charm  on  for  these  occasions ;  that  she  is  a 
consummate  actress,  but  during  the  whole  time  I  was 
in  the  Palace  I  never  saw  her  other  than  the  charming 
hostess,  considerate  of  the  comfort  of  those  who  sur- 
round her  and  readily  sympathizing  with  sorrow,  and 
I  have  seen  her  under  all  circumstances,  at  Audiences 
and  in  private,  in  anxiety  and  sorrow  and  in  joy.  She 
was  too  great  a  lover  of  Nature  in  all  its  phases  to  be 
cruel  and  heartless,  and  I  am  convinced  she  is  really 
genuinely  kind.  She  apparently  greatly  admired  intel- 
ligence, and  goodness  always  seemed  to  appeal  to  her. 
She  was  ever  a  fascinating  study,  and  her  magnetic 
personality  full  of  charm.  I  found  her  thoroughly 
human  and  perfectly  womanly. 

278 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  CHINESE  NEW  YEAR— OFFICIAL  AUDIENCE 

THE  Chinese  New  Year,  the  greatest  of  the  popular 
festivals,  is,  of  course,  celebrated  with  much  pomp 
and  enthusiasm  at  the  Palace.  Splendid  decorations, 
hundreds  of  beautiful  horn  lanterns,  with  their  long, 
red  silk  tassels,  the  great  red  "Sho"  emblazoned 
on  their  sides,  made  the  courts  and  verandahs  gay 
with  color.  Painted  figures  of  red-clothed  gods 
regarded  one  at  every  turn.  Hideous  monsters  with 
vermilion  faces,  painted  on  the  outside  doors,  bran- 
dished spears  to  frighten  away  the  bad  spirits.  There 
were  the  usual  gala  representations  at  the  Theater ;  and 
the  Palace,  as  at  all  festivals,  was  filled  with  visitors. 

The  Chinese  pay  all  their  debts  at  the  New  Year. 
If  they  have  not  the  ready  money  to  do  so,  they  will 
dispose  of  anything  valuable  they  have,  in  order  to 
begin  the  New  Year  free  from  debt.  It  is  considered 
tempting  Heaven  to  begin  it  otherwise.  A  great  deal 
of  silver  imitation  money  is  exchanged  at  this  season. 
This  is  an  old  custom  and  supposed  to  bring  abundance 
during  the  year.  At  the  New  Year,  present-giving 
reaches  its  culminating  point  in  China.  Every  one, 
rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  gives  presents  then. 

Their  Majesties  not  only  gave  to  all  the  Ladies  and 

279 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

Princesses,  but  to  every  inmate  of  the  Palace,  and  even 
the  beggar  at  the  gate  was  not  forgotten ;  but  the  pres- 
ents exchanged  at  the  New  Year  are  never  so  hand- 
some as  those  given  for  a  birthday.  The  presents  the 
Empress  Dowager  received  on  this  occasion  were  prin- 
cipally flowers  (her  Throne-room  was  full  of  them,  as 
well  as  her  private  apartments)— dwarf  fruit-trees 
twisted  into  fantastic  shapes,  laden  with  fragrant  blos- 
soms and  splendid  plants  of  peonies  in  full  flower,  and 
countless  vases  of  the  Chinese  Lily,  as  they  call  the 
Narcissus  in  China.  The  Empress  Dowager  tried  to 
be  cheerful  and  not  dampen  the  gaiety  of  the  Festival 
by  her  alarm,  but  the  long-looked-for  and  much- 
dreaded  war  between  Russia  and  Japan  had  then 
actually  begun,  and  she  was  mortally  anxious !  The 
Japanese  were  already  in  Manchuria,  and  no  one  knew 
how  it  might  affect  China ! 

Though  I  did  not  work  on  the  portrait  during  the  New- 
Year's  festivities,  it  was  now  really  advancing.  When 
Her  Majesty  saw  how  the  hands  looked  when  they  were 
drawn  in,  with  the  palms  of  the  hands  hidden  by  the 
long  fur  undersleeves,  in  the  position  I  had  dared  to  find 
fault  with  at  the  first  sitting,  she  at  once  suggested  hav- 
ing the  fur  undersleeves  taken  off,  but  she  still  said 
nothing  about  changing  the  position  of  the  hands, 
though  I  saw  she  had  her  doubts  about  them,  and  I 
felt  confident  her  good  taste  would  finally  prevail  and 
she  would  want  them  changed.  I  painted  them  in  with 
a  thin  wash  of  color,  knowing  they  would  be  changed 
later.  A  few  days  after  this,  she  remarked  that  my 
"  idea  about  the  position  of  the  hands  was  not  bad," 
and  suggested  that  the  left  hand  "would  look  well  on  a 

280 


The  Chinese  New  Year 

cushion."  I  made  this  change  in  the  small  study,  much 
to  her  satisfaction,  and  then  did  the  hands  likewise  in 
the  large  portrait. 

The  New-Year  festivities  were  hardly  over  before  the 
Empress  Dowager  decided  to  move  the  Court  to  the 
Sea  Palace.  This  Palace,  though  not  so  much  a  favorite 
with  her  as  the  Summer  Palace,  she  liked  better  than 
the  Winter  Palace ;  the  latter^  small,  shut-in  courts, 
waDed-in  walks,  and  rigid  traditions  seemed  to  depress 
her.  At  the  Sea  Palace  she  had  gardens  for  her  prome- 
nades and  there  was  a  lake.  It  was  not  so  beautiful  as 
the  Summer  Palace,  but  was  an  improvement  over  the 
Winter  Palace. 

This  move  to  the  Sea  Palace  necessitated  another 
change  of  studio  for  me,  just  as  I  was  comfortably  in- 
stalled in  my  quarters  in  the  Winter  Palace,  and  had 
begun  to  progress  with  my  work.  I  knew  I  should  be 
obliged  to  have  the  new  place  arranged  with  upper 
glass  windows  and  that  I  would  again  lose  time,  and 
the  date  of  the  opening  of  the  St.  Louis  Exposition 
was  approaching !  But  there  was  no  help  for  it ;  I  must 
go  with  the  Court  to  the  Sea  Palace.  I  was  told  that 
there  I  was  to  have  a  magnificent  pavilion  on  the  lake, 
with  a  perfect  light  for  painting.  As  to  the  pavilion's 
being  magnificent,  I  had  no  doubt,  but  I  did  doubt, 
from  past  experiences,  whether  the  light  would  be  all 
that  could  be  desired. 

One  morning  our  chairs  carried  us  to  the  Sea  Palace 
instead  of  to  the  Winter  Palace.  All  my  painting- 
things,  materials,  canvases,  as  well  as  Her  Majesty's 
Throne,  on  which  she  was  seated  for  the  portrait,  had 
been  moved.  Not  the  smallest  piece  of  paper,  nor 

28l 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

even  a  bit  of  charcoal  was  missing.  I  had  painted 
until  the  last  moment  at  the  Winter  Palace,  the  day 
before ;  and  early  the  next  morning  my  things  were 
in  perfect  order— the  portrait  on  the  easel,  and 
the  Throne  in  the  proper  position  in  my  quarters 
at  the  Sea  Palace.  It  was  an  "Aladdin's-Larnp " 
move. 

The  group  of  buildings  that  had  been  set  aside  for 
my  painting  fronted  on  the  lake,  and  were  really 
charming,  but  the  overhanging  verandahs  to  each 
pavilion  forced  me  again  to  have  the  upper  windows 
put  in.  After  this  was  accomplished,  it  was  the  best 
working-room  I  had  ever  had  at  any  of  the  Palaces. 
The  days  were  getting  longer  and  the  light  better, 
and  I  hoped  now  to  soon  finish  the  portrait. 

A  few  days  after  the  Court  moved  to  the  Sea 
Palace,  the  members  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique  were 
received  in  Audience  to  present  their  congratulations 
to  the  Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager  on  the  occasion 
of  the  Chinese  New  Year.  They  were  received  in  the 
Great  Audience  Hall ;  but  the  ladies  of  the  Legation, 
whose  reception  took  place  the  following  day,  were 
received  in  Her  Majesty's  Throne-room  opening  on 
the  Court  of  the  large  Theater  at  the  Sea  Palace. 
As  it  was  cold,  the  Theater  and  its  court  were  entirely 
inclosed  and  roofed  over  in  glass,  in  panes  of  about  a 
foot  and  a  half  square.  On  each  pane  was  painted, 
in  red,  the  ever-present  character  "  Sho "  (longevity), 
surrounded  by  five  bats.  The  marble  pavement  of  the 
court  and  the  steps  leading  up  to  the  Throne-room 
were  carpeted  in  red ;  and  when  the  great  doors  were 
thrown  wide,  there  was  a  good  effect  of  size  given, 

282 


Official  Audience 

although  this  Throne-room  was  one  of  the  smallest  in 
the  Sea  Palace. 

As  this  was  to  be  a  formal  reception,  several  mem- 
bers of  the  Wai-Wu-Pu  were  present  as  interpreters. 
The  ladies  of  the  Legation  were  presented  by  the 
Baron  Czikan,  the  Austrian  Minister,  Doyen  of  the 
Corps.  He  made  a  graceful  address  in  French,  wish- 
ing Their  Majesties  a  Happy  New  Year,  and  China 
much  prosperity.  This  was  translated  into  Chinese  by 
one  of  the  Secretaries  of  the  Wai-Wu-Pu.  The  Em- 
press Dowager  replied  for  herself  and  the  Emperor,  in 
Chinese.  Her  Majesty's  words  were  interpreted  by 
His  Excellency  Liang  Fang,  a  good  French  scholar. 
Then  the  Doyen  presented  the  ladies  individually,  and 
the  usual  order  of  ceremonies  followed.  When  the 
presentations  were  over,  the  Doyen,  foreign  attache's 
and  interpreters,  with  the  Chinese  officials,  repaired 
to  the  hall  which  had  been  set  aside  for  their  luncheon, 
while  the  ladies,  accompanied  by  the  Princesses,  went 
to  their  repast  in  another  part  of  the  Palace ! 

Only  a  few  days  after  this,  came  the  lantern 
festival;  but  this  was  not  an  interruption  to  my 
work,  for  I  painted  all  day,  and  only  went  to  the 
Theater  for  the  final  piece  and  the  spectacular  tableau. 
We  dined  in  the  Imperial  loge,  and  after  dinner 
there  were  beautiful  lantern  and  torch-light  proces- 
sions. In  the  court  opposite  the  Throne-room  where 
we  dined,  there  was  a  beautiful  pai-lou  of  transparent 
gauze,  painted  in  charming  designs,  illuminated  from 
within,  and  hung  with  luminous  flowers  and  quaint 
lanterns.  Tall  eunuchs,  in  gala  red,  stood  around  the 
courts,  holding  great  lanterns  aloft,  like  huge  carya- 

283 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

tides  with  luminous  burdens.  Others  with  fanciful 
vermilion  lanterns  wound  in  and  out  through  cor- 
ridors and  courts.  When  they  reached  the  court  of 
the  softly  glowing  pai-lou,  they  maneuvered  and  made 
intricate  designs  and  luminous  tableaux,  holding  aloft 
their  red-globed  lanterns  to  form  characters  and 
phrases  of  "  felicitous  omen."  These  huge,  luminous 
characters  were  wonderfully  accurate. 

After  the  torch-  and  lantern-lit  processions,  and  the 
glowing  tableaux,  a  pair  of  illuminated  dragons 
writhed  into  the  court  and  struggled  for  the  "flaming 
pearl/'  which  flitted  around  with  elusive  fantastic 
movements,  ever  beyond  their  grasp.  I  was  not  able 
to  find  out  the  origin  of  the  Imperial  legend  of  the 
Double  Dragon  and  the  Flaming  Pearl,  representa- 
tions of  which  appear  everywhere  at  the  Palace  on 
whatever  is  meant  for  Imperial  use,  or  for  any  official 
function  over  which  the  Emperor  is  supposed  to 
preside.  It  is  on  all  the  Thrones  of  the  Dynasty ;  it 
adorns  the  Imperial  pennant;  it  is  cut  into  stone, 
carved  into  wood,  and  painted  in  pictures.  It  decorates 
the  gowns  of  the  higher  officials,  and  is  embroidered 
upon  the  Court  dresses  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Palace. 
At  the  Birthdays  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  and 
at  all  Dynastic  celebrations  there  are  realistic  repre- 
sentations of  the  immortal  struggle  where  the  Double 
Dragon  strives  to  absorb  the  "  flaming  pearl."  The 
significance  of  the  legend  seems  to  be :  The  Double 
Dragon  represents  the  Powers  of  Earth  or  Evil  which 
try  ever  to  absorb  the  Flaming  Pearl,  Emblem  of  the 
Dynasty,  symbol  of  Heaven  or  Perfection.  The 
Flaming  Pearl,  the  Unattainable,  keeps  ever  beyond 

284 


Official  Audience 

and  above  their  grasp,  seeming  to  serve  always  as  an 
incentive  for  further  effort. 

For  a  fortnight  after  the  lantern  festival,  there 
were  fireworks  every  night  on  the  banks  of  the  lake. 
We  would  dine  in  the  Throne-room,  and  then  Her 
Majesty  and  the  Emperor,  accompanied  by  the  Ladies, 
and  attended  by  the  usual  number  of  eunuchs  (each 
bearing  transparent  horn  lanterns),  would  go  through 
the  courts  and  paths  of  the  garden  to  the  lake,  on  the 
banks  of  which  the  fireworks  were  sent  up.  Here,  in 
full  view  of  the  set  pieces,  stood  four  large,  roomy 
sleds.  When  the  lake  was  frozen,  these  sleds  were 
used  to  push  Their  Majesties  and  the  ladies  over  its 
glassy  surface.  They  had  not  been  used  as  sleds 
this  winter,  for  the  ice  had  not  been  sufficiently 
firm,  the  winter  having  been  comparatively  mild. 
But  when  the  lake  was  well  frozen,  as  is  usual  at  this 
season  in  Peking,  Their  Majesties  viewed  the  fire- 
works from  these  sleds  as  they  skimmed  along  over 
its  smooth  surface.  There  was  a  sled  for  each  of 
them— one  for  the  Empress  and  second  wife,  and 
one  for  the  Princesses.  They  were  cloth-covered, 
lined  with  fur,  and  had  great  fur  rugs.  There  were 
seats  around  the  three  sides;  the  wadded  curtain, 
with  its  large  square  of  plate  glass  that  hung  down 
over  the  front,  was  taken  off  for  the  fireworks. 
Their  Majesties  occupied  each  of  theirs  alone,  but 
the  Empress  had  several  of  the  Ladies  in  hers. 

The  fireworks  were  superb.  There  were  beautiful 
set  pieces,  pagodas,  with  ladies  on  balconies,  pavilions 
with  grapevines,  wistaria  arbors,  and  beds  of  flowers 
so  lifelike  they  seemed  to  grow  at  the  side  of  the 

285 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

luminous  cascades,  and  many  other  effects  I  had  never 
seen  before  in  fireworks.  One  day,  during  the  time 
of  the  lantern  festival,  we  had  fireworks  in  the  brilliant 
sunshine.  When  these  day  rockets  exploded,  all  sorts 
of  curious  paper  devices  fell  to  the  ground— fish  dragons 
and  animals,  as  well  as  flags  and  baskets.  When 
anything  interesting  was  revealed,  Her  Majesty  would 
send  the  eunuchs  to  pick  it  up  as  it  fell  and  bring  it 
to  her  that  she  might  examine  it.  Many  fell  outside 
the  Palace  walls,  and  she  said  these  would  give 
pleasure  to  the  "  poor  people  outside." 

Formerly,  at  these  fireworks  in  the  Palace  to  cele- 
brate the  lantern  festival,  the  public  was  admitted 
into  the  Inclosure,  but  this  practice  stopped  when 
the  two  Empresses  were  Co-Regents  for  the  first 
boy  Emperor,  Tung-Chih.  As  this  was  coincident 
with  the  establishment  of  the  first  Foreign  Legations 
in  Peking,  the  latter  fact  may  have  had  some  influence 
in  changing  the  custom.  The  Chinese  people  were  shut 
out  because  it  was  feared  that  the  foreigners  might 
also  come  into  the  Precincts.  These  beautiful  fire- 
works I  could  enjoy  without  any  qualms  of  conscience, 
for  I  could  not  paint  at  night,  and  they  were  con- 
sequently no  interruption  to  my  work. 


286 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

CONTINUATION    OF    THE    ST.   LOUIS    PORTRAIT— SPRING 
DAYS  AT  THE  SEA  PALACE 

r  1 1HERE  began  now  to  be  some  discussion  as  to 
_L  what  would  be  the  most  propitious  date  for  fin- 
ishing the  portrait.  I  had  thought  I  might  finish 
when  I  could,  but  this  was  not  to  be  the  case.  The 
almanacs  were  consulted,  and  it  was  decided  that 
the  nineteenth  day  of  April  would  be  an  auspi- 
cious time  to  finish  and  before  four  o'clock !  The 
Empress  Dowager  informed  me  of  the  "happy 
augury  "  of  this  date  and  asked  me  if  I  thought  it 
possible  to  finish  then.  Not  only  had  the  date  for 
beginning  the  portrait  been  carefully  chosen,  but 
there  was  much  deliberation  as  to  the  proper  time  for 
finishing !  Her  Majesty  seemed  very  anxious  until 
she  received  my  reply  as  to  whether  it  would  be  pos- 
sible to  finish  at  this  happy  date,  for  I  could  not  say 
at  first,  as  I  had  never  thought  of  finishing  at  any 
particular  moment !  When  I  finally  told  her  I  could 
finish  it  before  four  o'clock,  April  19th,  she  was  de- 
lighted. She  said  "  How  good "  and  asked  me  to 
please  "  not  disappoint  her."  As  the  portrait  neared 
completion  she  came  very  often  to  the  studio  and 
watched  over  the  painting-in  of  all  the  accessories, 
which  she  seemed  to  consider  quite  as  important  as 

287 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

the  likeness  itself.  As  she  was  tired  after  the  Audi- 
ences, she  gave  me  two  or  three  sittings  at  this  time 
before  she  went  to  the  Audience  Hall,  and  I  painted 
from  half -past  six  to  eight  A.M.  for  two  or  three  days. 
The  jewels  in  the  head-dress,  all  official,  were  the  sub- 
ject of  much  deliberation.  After  a  jewel  was  painted 
in,  she  would  decide  she  did  n't  like  it  and  that  some- 
thing else  would  be  better.  She  seemed  to  think  it 
was  as  easy  to  take  it  from  the  picture  as  to  remove 
it  from  her  person.  All  these  requests  for  changes 
were  so  graciously  made,  I  never  complained.  She 
would  sometimes  say,  "  I  am  giving  you  a  great  deal 
of  trouble,  and  you  are  very  kind."  I  did  n't  mind 
the  trouble,  only  these  changes  took  away  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  painting  and  did  not  add  to  the  artistic 
effect  of  the  picture. 

Her  Majesty  ordered  a  magnificent  frame  for  the 
portrait.  She,  herself,  made  the  design.  The  Double 
Dragon  at  the  top  struggled  for  the  "  naming  pearl " 
with  the  character  "  Sho "  on  it.  The  sides  were 
elaborately  carved  in  designs  representing  the  sym- 
bol of  "  ten  thousand  "  years  with  the  characters  for 
longevity.  The  frame  was  to  be  set  in  a  superbly 
carved  stand,  as  the  Chinese  do  their  mirrors.  The 
whole,  of  rare  camphor- wood,  was  made  by  Her  Maj- 
esty's own  artisans  at  the  Palace — the  most  expert 
workmen  in  China. 

The  days  were  lengthening  now,  the  trees  begin- 
ning to  bud  and  the  flowers  in  the  courts  to  bloom. 
The  icy  fetters  that  had  locked  the  lake  were  broken ; 
the  boats  again  glided  over  its  bosom.  In  the  morn- 
ings we  no  longer  had  to  take  the  winter  "  chairs " 

288 


Continuation  of  the  Portrait 

and  be  carried  the  long  distance  from  the  gates  to  the 
Throne-room.  The  comfortable  boats  once  more  lay 
moored  at  the  foot  of  the  landing-steps,  just  within 
the  gates,  and  we  enjoyed  again  those  ideal  trips 
across  the  lake. 

The  Empress  Dowager  began  to  take  long  promen- 
ades now  and  was  much  out-of-doors.  Sometimes  in 
the  mornings,  on  our  arrival,  she  would  already  be  in 
the  gardens.  One  day  we  met  her  on  the  banks  of  the 
lake  and  made  our  morning  salutations  there.  An- 
other day,  she  and  the  Emperor  were  inspecting  the 
new  buildings  which  were  being  erected  to  replace  those 
burned  during  the  occupation  of  Peking  by  the  Allies, 
when  Count  von  "Waldersee  had  his  headquarters  in 
the  Sea  Palace.  Splendid  buildings  were  being 
erected  on  the  site  of  those  burned.  The  Emperor 
and  Empress  Dowager,  each  with  his  own  suite,  care- 
fully visited  every  part  of  these  new  constructions 
and  seemed  much  interested  in  their  progress.  Of 
course,  the  workmen  were  banished  during  the  visit 
of  Their  Majesties.  One  of  these  new  halls  was  to  be 
used  for  the  entertainment  of  foreigners,  when  they 
are  invited  to  the  Palace,  and  many  concessions  had 
been  made  to  foreign  ideas  in  its  construction.  Let 
us  hope  it  may  not  lose  its  Chinese  character !  I  am 
sure  the  foreigners  will  regret  this  innovation  and 
would  prefer  the  typical  Chinese  interior,  even  though 
it  be  less  suited  to  the  exigencies  of  a  modern  reception. 

Sometimes  we  would  see  the  Empress  Dowager  in 
her  Japanese  "jinricksha."  This  was  a  beautiful, 
gold-lacquered  affair  in  dragon  form,  the  two  dragons' 
heads  in  front.  It  had  splendid  gold-lacquered  shafts 

289 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

and  wheels — the  latter  with  rubber  tires.  It  was  pulled 
by  one  eunuch  and  pushed  by  another,  and  Her  Maj- 
esty seemed  greatly  to  enjoy  this  novelty  for  a  while, 
but  she  said  she  preferred  to  walk  or  to  be  carried  in 
her  open  chair,  as  a  usual  thing. 

Two  other  modern  and  novel  methods  of  locomotion 
had  been  installed  in  the  grounds  of  the  Sea  Palace. 
There  was  a  small  railway,  which  ran  from  the  outer 
gates  to  the  dwelling  Palaces,  which  had  its  engine 
and  complete  running  outfit.  This  had  been  con- 
structed by  some  progressive  Mandarins,  who  wished 
to  get  the  Empress  Dowager's  support  for  some  rail- 
way scheme,  but  though  she  often  spoke  of  how  much 
she  had  enjoyed  her  one  trip  on  a  real  railway,  her 
spirit  was  too  utilitarian  to  care  for  toy  pleasures.  She 
could  n't  stand  the  puffing  of  the  engine,  the  tiny  cars, 
and  all  this  trouble  for  so  short  and  useless  a  jaunt. 

There  was  also  in  the  Sea  Palace,  as  well  as  at  the 
Summer  Palace,  a  number  of  automobiles,  which  had 
been  presented  to  Their  Majesties  by  Chinese  nobles 
and  officials  who  had  been  abroad,  as  examples  of  the 
curiosities  of  European  civilization.  One  of  these  was 
gorgeously  fitted  up  in  the  Imperial  yellow  and  gold 
lacquer,  with  the  Double  Dragon.  The  body  was  in- 
closed in  glass  and  there  was  a  throne-like  seat  within 
for  the  Empress  Dowager.  The  question  of  how  the 
chauffeur  should  run  the  machine  standing,  as  he 
would  be  obliged  to  do  if  Her  Majesty  were  inside,  had 
not  then  been  solved.  She  was,  however,  willing  to 
throw  tradition  to  the  winds  in  this  instance,  and  was 
most  anxious  to  try  one  of  these  motor-cars.  Her  en- 
tourage was,  however,  bitterly  opposed  to  it,  even  for 

290 


Spring  Days  at  the  Sea  Palace 

a  short  distance  in  the  grounds.  They  were  afraid  of 
an  accident.  She  never  tried  one  while  I  was  there, 
but  I  am  confident  that  her  venturesome  spirit  will  not 
rest  content  until  she  has  had  a  ride  in  one  of  these 
modern  carriages. 

In  April,  kite-flying  time  begins  in  China.  High 
Officials  and  dignified  literati  indulge  in  the  pastime 
as  well  as  children  and  young  people.  The  popular 
pastimes  of  the  people,  as  well  as  their  serious  occu- 
pations, being  always  honored  in  the  Palace,  kites 
were,  of  course,  sent  off  by  the  Empress  Dowager  and 
the  Ladies.  The  first  day  the  kites  were  to  be  flown 
Her  Majesty  sent  for  me  to  come  into  the  garden, 
where  the  kite-flying  was  to  take  place.  The  kites  were 
of  paper,  wonderfully  fashioned,  representing  birds, 
fish,  bats,  and  even  personages.  The  strings  were 
wound  on  curiously  shaped  reels  and  the  cleverness 
with  which  Her  Majesty  let  out  the  string  and  manipu- 
lated the  kites  was  wonderful.  After  she  had  let 
one  go,  she  graciously  handed  me  her  own  reel  and 
told  me  she  would  teach  me  to  fly  a  kite.  I  was  hard 
at  work  at  my  painting  when  I  was  called  out  into  the 
garden  and  I  wished  to  return  to  it  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble ;  and  as  I  knew  I  would  not  be  very  clever  at  kite- 
flying, I  begged  her  to  allow  me  to  watch  her  instead. 
The  young  Empress  and  Princesses  were  also  very  profi- 
cient in  flying  them,  and  Her  Majesty  flew  hers  as  she 
did  everything  else,  with  unusual  grace. 

One  of  these  beautiful  spring  mornings  as  we  were 
softly  gliding  across  the  lake,  propelled  by  the  grace- 
ful Palace  boatmen,  I  lay  back  on  my  cushions  revel- 
ing in  the  scene  of  quiet  loveliness  before  me  and 

291 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

drinking  in  the  ineffable  perfume  of  the  spring,  when 
my  glance,  roaming  lazily  around  in  perfect  content, 
caught  sight  of  a  group  of  gentlemen  on  the  bank  of 
the  lake  beyond.  The  rays  of  the  morning  sun,  glint- 
ing upon  the  gold  of  their  embroidered  costumes  and 
touching,  with  iridescent  rays,  the  peacock's  feathers 
upon  their  hats,  revealed  their  rank  and  official 
standing. 

As  it  was  a  most  unusual  thing  to  see  gentlemen  in 
the  Palace  Inclosure,  I  was  at  once  all  attention,  know- 
ing there  must  be  some  important  event  on  hand,  espe- 
cially as,  on  looking  closer,  I  saw  one  small  figure  in 
their  midst  more  plainly  dressed  than  the  others, 
whom  I  at  once  recognized  as  His  Majesty  the  Em- 
peror. As  we  slowly  approached  I  saw  the  Emperor 
go  over  to  a  plow  to  which  was  hitched  an  ox,  and 
which  stood  at  a  little  distance  off  in  the  field.  Fortune 
favored  me !  I  was  to  see  the  Emperor  plow  the  first 
furrow  of  the  year !  For  it  was  only  on  the  morrow 
that  the  official  public  ceremony  was  to  take  place  at 
the  Temple  of  Agriculture,  near  the  great  triple  altar 
of  Heaven.  I  was  to  see  the  private  plowing,  done  in 
the  Palace  grounds  and  viewed  only  by  the  Princes 
of  the  Imperial  Family  and  the  highest  Manchu 
nobles. 

When  all  was  ready  the  Emperor  took  the  handles 
of  the  plow  and  guided  it  down  a  furrow  marked  off 
the  ground,  and  when  the  furrow  was  upturned,  the 
seed  was  dropped  in.  The  ox  for  this  ceremony,  which 
I  had  heard  was  white,  was  (at  the  Palace  function)  of 
a  soft  doe  color.  He  seemed  to  have  been  trained  for 
the  purpose  and  performed  his  part  with  a  dignity  in 

292 


Spring  Days  at  the  Sea  Palace 

harmony  with  the  attitude  of  all  the  assistants  and 
in  keeping  with  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion. 

I  was  rejoiced  to  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  this 
interesting  ceremony  and  to  learn  that  even  this  great 
rite,  which  I  had  thought,  like  the  sacrifice  to  the  In- 
visible Deity  on  the  triple  altar,  was  only  performed 
in  the  grounds  of  the  Temple  to  Heaven ;  and  to  learn 
that  every  custom  dear  to  the  people,  or  incorporated 
in  the  National  life,  is  observed  in  the  Palace  by  the 
Emperor  and  Empress— that  His  Majesty  really 
plants  the  first  furrow  of  the  year  and  gathers  the 
first  sheaves  of  ripened  wheat,  and  that  the  Ladies 
of  the  Palace  really  spin  the  first  silk  and  pull  the 
first  fruits. 

The  slow  movement  of  the  Palace  boats  was  never 
so  appreciated  by  me  as  on  this  morning,  for  I  was 
thus  enabled  to  see  well  this  curious  National  cere- 
mony, which  I  would  never  have  seen  but  for  the  acci- 
dent of  the  hour  of  my  crossing  the  lake  and  the  time 
it  took  to  do  so ;  for,  as  at  all  ceremonies  where  men  are 
present,  there  were,  of  course,  no  members  of  Her 
Majesty's  entourage,  and  none  of  the  Ladies  or  Prin- 
cesses had  ever  seen  this  ceremony ! 


293 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

FINISHING  AND  SENDING  OFF  THE  PORTRAIT 

THE  nineteenth  day  of  April  was  approaching,  and 
the  portrait  steadily  advancing.  As  it  neared 
completion  Her  Majesty's  interest  in  it  seemed  to 
grow.  She  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  my  pavilion 
watching  its  progress,  and  expressed  herself  as  much 
delighted  with  it.  A  few  days  before  the  nineteenth, 
I  asked  Her  Majesty  to  allow  Mrs.  Conger  to  come  and 
see  it  on  that  day.  She  immediately  consented,  and 
invitations  were  sent  through  the  Foreign  Office,  not 
only  to  Mrs.  Conger,  but  to  the  wives  of  the  Ministers 
and  First  Secretaries  of  Legations  to  come  to  the 
Palace  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  April,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  "  seeing  the  portrait  of  Her  Imperial  Majesty, 
the  Empress  Dowager,  painted  by  the  American 
artist." 

The  ladies  of  the  Legation,  of  course,  responded  to 
the  invitation,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth 
the  portrait  was  placed  in  the  splendid  frame.  Her 
Majesty  decided  she  would  receive  the  ladies  first  in 
her  Throne-room,  after  which  they  were  to  come  to 
my  studio  to  see  the  portrait.  As  I  was  still  working 
until  the  "fateful  hour,"  I  did  not  go  up  to  the  Throne- 
room  but  awaited  the  ladies  in  my  own  place.  Her 

294 


Finishing  and  Sending  the  Portrait 

Majesty  did  not  accompany  the  ladies  when  they  came 
to  see  the  portrait,  but  she  sent  the  young  Empress 
and  Princesses  to  my  pavilion  to  assist  me  in  receiv- 
ing and  to  lend  a  proper  dignity  to  the  occasion.  The 
portrait,  in  a  Chinese  milieu,  and  seen  in  the  light  in 
which  it  was  painted,  made  a  better  effect  than  it 
could  in  any  other  surroundings.  The  ladies  were,  of 
course,  much  interested  in  seeing  this  long-talked-of 
picture— the  first  ever  painted  of  Her  Majesty— and 
the  novelty  of  the  precedent,  as  well  as  the  interest  of  a 
visit  to  the  Palace,  favorably  predisposed  them,  and 
they  expressed  themselves  as  most  interested  in  the 
work,  finding  it  a  good  likeness.  The  admiration  it 
received  from  the  young  Empress  and  the  Ladies  of 
the  Court  was  almost  embarrassing,  and  the  eunuchs 
said  it  was  so  lifelike  when  they  passed  the  windows 
that  it  inspired  the  same  awe  Her  Majesty's  own 
presence  did. 

After  the  ladies  had  duly  looked  at  and  commented 
upon  the  portrait,  they  repaired  to  one  of  the  halls  in 
connection  with  my  studio,  where  a  repast  had  been 
prepared  by  the  orders  of  Her  Majesty.  Here,  for  the 
first  and  only  time,  while  I  was  in  the  Palace,  the 
young  Empress  sat  down  at  the  table  with  the  foreign 
ladies,  and  acted  as  hostess,  and  very  gracefully  she 
filled  her  role. 

After  the  visit  of  the  ladies  of  the  Legation,  Her 
Majesty  informed  me  that  the  Princes  and  nobles, 
whose  rank  entitled  them  to  enter  the  Palace  In- 
closure,  were  to  come  to  see  it  the  following  day.  As 
it  would  not  have  been  "  according  to  the  Proprieties" 
for  gentlemen  to  enter  the  quarters  reserved  for  ladies, 

295 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

or  the  buildings  where  even  a  foreign  lady  worked, 
the  portrait  was,  for  their  visit,  carried  out  into  the 
open  court  of  my  pavilion. 

To  place  the  portrait  in  its  carved  pedestal,  it  was 
necessary  to  erect  a  scaffolding  by  which  the  framed 
picture  was  raised  into  the  air,  and  then  lowered  into 
its  stand.  When  all  was  finally  arranged,  the  scaffold- 
ing was  removed,  the  debris  cleared  away,  and  the 
Princes  and  nobles,  in  full  dress,  came  into  the  court 
to  see  the  portrait.  Each  one  approached  the  picture 
and  closely  examined  it,  even  touching  the  canvas. 
Unfortunately,  I  could  not  hear  their  comments,  as  I 
only  saw  the  ceremony  discreetly  ensconced  behind  a 
curtain,  but  I  could  watch  their  faces  and  study  their 
expressions,  though  I  must  confess  that  they  revealed 
very  little. 

A  young  Manchu,  who  had  been  attached  to  a 
Legation  abroad  and  had  learned  photography  in  an 
amateur  way,  had  been  ordered  by  Her  Majesty  to 
make  a  photograph  of  the  portrait.  This  was  done 
while  the  Princes  and  nobles  were  still  in  the  court. 
When  it  was  photographed,  and  the  Princes  had 
retired,  the  scaffolding  was  again  put  up,  the  picture 
was  raised  out  of  its  carved  wood  pedestal  and  was 
replaced  in  my  studio.  All  this  took  the  greater  part 
of  the  day. 

Her  Majesty  was  so  pleased  with  the  comments  she 
heard  upon  the  portrait  (of  course  no  unfavorable 
ones  were  made  to  her),  that  she  decided  to  accede  to 
the  prayers  of  several  of  the  high  officials,  and  allow 
the  Sacred  Picture  to  be  viewed  by  a  number  of  other 
high  functionaries.  For  this  purpose,  the  portrait 

296 


Finishing  and  Sending  the  Portrait 

was  removed  to  the  Wai-Wu-Pu  (Foreign  Office) ;  for 
many  of  the  highest  Officials  are  not  permitted  to  enter 
the  Palace  Inclosure. 

At  the  Foreign  Office,  not  only  the  high  Chinese 
Officials,  but  the  foreign  Ministers  and  their  staffs 
were  invited  to  see  it.  Many  of  the  foreigners  went 
in  full-dress  uniform  for  this  visit,>»m  deference 
to  Chinese  prejudices.  After  it  had  been  duly  viewed 
by  all  in  Peking  of  sufficient  rank  to  have  that  honor, 
it  was  inclosed  in  a  satin-lined  camphor-wood  box, 
covered  with  satin  of  Imperial  yellow,  and  the  box 
was  closed  with  great  solemnity.  The  pedestal  was 
placed  in  a  similar  box.  Each  had  splendid  bronze 
handles  and  huge  circular  locks.  These  boxes  were 
inclosed  in  others,  also  lined  with  the  Imperial  color, 
and  were  finally  ready  for  shipment.  The  packing- 
cases,  containing  the  framed  picture  and  its  carved 
pedestal,  were  placed  upon  a  flat  freight  car,  which  had 
been  elaborately  decorated  with  red  and  yellow  festoons 
of  silk.  The  boxes  were  covered  with  yellow  cloth, 
painted  with  the  Double  Dragon.  A  special  railway 
had  been  laid  from  the  Wai-Wu-Pu  to  the  station  out- 
side the  Chien-Men,  for  it  was  not  considered  fitting 
that  ordinary  bearers  transport  the  picture  of  Her 
Majesty. 

The  Officials  of  the  Wai-Wu-Pu,  as  well  as  many 
other  of  the  high  Officials  in  Peking,  dressed  in  full 
dress,  accompanied  it  to  the  station,  and  stood  to  watch 
the  Sacred  Picture  start  off  on  its  long  journey  to  St. 
Louis.  The  special  train  carrying  it  was  met  at 
Tientsin  by  the  Viceroy  of  the  Province,  surrounded 
by  all  his  official  staff.  It  was  there  placed  with  great 

297 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

ceremony  upon  the  steamer  on  which  it  was  to  make 
the  journey  to  Shanghai,  and  was  accompanied  from 
Peking  to  Shanghai  by  an  official  specially  appointed 
for  the  purpose. 

At  Shanghai  it  was  received  in  the  same  formal 
state  and  with  the  same  official  pomp  as  at  Tientsin. 
It  was  met  at  the  steamer  by  the  Governor  of  the 
Province  and  all  his  staff  and  transhipped  with  great 
ceremony  to  one  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamers  for  San 
Francisco.  The  Sacred  Picture  was  accompanied  on 
its  journey  from  Shanghai  to  St.  Louis  by  a  high  Offi- 
cial and  his  suite.  A  special  car  conveyed  it  from 
San  Francisco  to  St.  Louis. 

His  Imperial  Highness  Prince  Pu  L'un,  Imperial 
Commissioner  and  personal  representative  of  Their 
Majesties  at  the  Exposition  of  St.  Louis,  awaited  the 
arrival  of  the  portrait  there,  delaying  his  departure 
for  several  days  in  order  to  be  able  himself  to  assist 
at  the  reception  and  placing  of  the  portrait.  At  four 
o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  19th  of  June,  His 
Imperial  Highness  and  the  Imperial  Chinese  Com- 
mission repaired  to  the  Art  Gallery,  where  the  cases 
containing  the  portrait  and  pedestal  were  awaiting 
their  presence  to  be  opened.  The  Director  of  the 
Art  Gallery,  the  Assistant  Director,  and  several  other 
members  of  the  Board  of  Fine  Arts,  were  also  present. 

The  cases  containing  the  portrait,  one  within  the 
other,  were  opened,  and  finally  within  the  last,  lined 
with  yellow  silk,  lay  the  "  Sacred  Picture,"  covered 
with  a  screen  of  brocaded  satin  of  Imperial  hue.  This 
satin  cover  was  ceremoniously  removed,  and  the  pic- 
ture was  "  unveiled."  The  Prince  proposed  the  health 
of  Her  Majesty  and  the  Prosperity  of  China,  which 

298 


Finishing  and  Sending  the  Portrait 

the  assistants  drank  in  sparkling  champagne.  This 
opening  of  the  cases  and  unveiling  of  the  picture 
lasted  from  four  o'clock  to  nine  p.  M.  A  few  days 
later,  when  the  Gallery  where  it  was  placed  was 
opened  to  the  public,  it  lost,  for  the  first  time  since 
its  inception,  its  semi-sacred  qualities.  Only  then 
did  it  stand  upon  its  own  merits  and  become  as 
other  portraits.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  it  could  be 
seen  by  the  ordinary  individual— then  only  it  became 
the  subject  of  comment  as  any  other  picture  at  the 
Fair.  Then  it  was  open  to  the  gaze  of  the  vulgar  and 
the  comment  of  the  scoffer. 

At  the  close  of  the  Exposition,  a  delegate  was  sent 
from  the  Chinese  Legation  in  Washington  to  arrange 
for  the  transportation  of  the  picture  to  the  latter  place. 
The  portrait  and  its  carved  support  were  again  placed 
in  their  satin-lined  cases,  and  it  began  the  journey  to 
Washington.  Her  Majesty  had  decided  when  the  por- 
trait was  completed  to  her  satisfaction  that  it  would 
be  a  suitable  present  for  her  to  make  to  the  United 
States.  She  thought  this  would  be  particularly  ap- 
propriate, as  the  painting  of  the  portrait  for  the  St. 
Louis  Exposition  had  been  thought  of  by  the  wife  of 
the  American  Minister  to  Peking,  and  as  it  had  been 
executed  by  an  American  artist.  Thus  the  United 
States  received  the  gift  of  the  first  portrait  ever  painted 
of  a  Chinese  Ruler. 

When  the  portrait  arrived  in  Washington,  His 
Excellency  Sir  Chentung  Liang  Cheng,  the  Chinese 
Minister  to  Washington,  attended  by  his  Secretaries, 
made  a  formal  presentation  of  the  portrait  to  the 
President,  which  Mr.  Roosevelt  received  on  behalf  of 
the  United  States  Government. 

299 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

RETURN  TO  THE  SUMMER  PALACE 

SENDING  off  the  picture  to  St.  Louis  did  not  sever 
my  connection  with  the  Palace,  for  I  had  still 
other  work  to  finish  !  At  the  end  of  April,  a  month 
later  than  usual,  the  Court  moved  out  to  the  Summer 
Palace  for  the  rest  of  the  year.  The  country  was 
beautiful,  the  trees  were  almost  in  full  leaf,  and  lilacs, 
blue  and  white,  bloomed  everywhere.  My  garden  in 
the  Park  of  the  Palace  of  the  Emperor's  Father  was 
full  of  them,  and  over  my  entrance  gate  clambered  a 
beautiful  yellow  rose-bush  laden  with  masses  of  blooms. 
Wild  flowers  were  springing  up  at  every  turn,  and 
my  dog  "  Melah"  in  his  wild  races  through  the  park, 
when  we  were  out  for  our  walks,  would  often  start 
up  coveys  of  birds ;  or  rabbits  would  scurry  away  at 
his  approach.  I  went  back  to  my  favorite  haunts  in 
the  park,  to  the  summer-house,  where  upon  the  thresh- 
old, cut  in  stone,  lay  the  plaint  of  the  Seventh 
Prince!  It  was  a  delightful  change  to  be  in  this 
beautiful  spot  after  the  four  months  in  Peking,  and 
to  see  Nature  everywhere  budding  into  perfection. 
The  grounds  of  the  Summer  Palace  were  one  maze  of 
delight.  The  peonies  in  all  their  royal  splendor,  the 
fragrant  lilac,  the  stately  magnolia,  and  the  budding 

300 


Return  to  the  Summer  Palace 

elms,  each  added  their  charm  to  this  beautiful  spot, 
where  everything  was  lovely.  I  could  not  wonder  at 
the  Empress  Dowager's  desire  to  come  back  again  to 
all  this  beauty. 

A  charming  studio  was  fitted  up  for  me  at  the 
Summer  Palace  on  our  return.  Her  Majesty  saw  how 
much  more  satisfactory  it  was  for  me  to  have  a  proper 
place  to  work  in,  where  I  would  be  undisturbed,  and 
even  had  she  not  seen  the  utility  of  a  studio,  I  think 
she  would  have  granted  my  request  for  one,  for  she 
was  always  kind  and  considerate.  Upper  windows  of 
plate  glass  were  put  into  the  north  side  of  one  of  His 
Majesty's  Throne-rooms,  behind  the  Imperial  loge. 
It  looked  over  a  charming  terrace  of  the  garden. 
The  days  were  long,  and  it  was  a  delight  to  live  and 
breathe,  and  the  quiet  of  the  studio,  where  I  could 
work  at  leisure,  made  me  resume  my  work  with 
renewed  vigor. 

I  began  at  once  to  finish  up  the  small  sketch  of  the 
St.  Louis  portrait,  which  Her  Majesty  wished  to  keep, 
and  then  to  put  the  final  touches  on  the  two  portraits 
begun  at  the  Summer  Palace.  The  Throne-room  that 
was  now  my  studio  had  only  one  disadvantage.  It 
was  so  near  the  Theater  that  on  theater  days  I  could 
hear  the  music  and  the  voices  of  the  actors.  And  on 
those  days,  the  court  outside  my  windows  was  filled 
all  day  with  eunuchs  and  Their  Majesties'  attendants, 
moving  to  and  fro.  I  decided  if  it  was  necessary  for 
me  to  go  into  Peking  at  any  time,  to  take  a  "  Theater 
day  "  to  do  so. 

One  Theater  day  I  did  go  into  Peking,  and  on  my 
return  to  the  Summer  Palace  the  next  day  I  found 

301 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

that  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  had  taken  advantage 
of  my  absence  to  occupy  his  Throne-room  the  day  be- 
fore, for  I  found  his  Theater  program,  distinguishable 
by  being  written  on  Imperial  yellow  paper,  and  he 
had  also  left  a  few  papers  scattered  around  with 
characters  and  phrases  written  with  the  "  Vermilion 
Pencil,"  which  may  only  be  used  by  His  Majesty.  On 
one  paper  he  had  evidently  been  trying  to  draw  a  plan 
of  the  part  of  Manchuria  where  the  war  operations 
were  then  being  carried  on.  He  had  also  drawn  a 
part  of  the  Great  "Wall  of  China,  and  the  dividing  line 
between  China  and  Manchuria. 

So  the  Emperor,  notwithstanding  his  stoical  smile, 
his  apparent  unconcern,  was  not  indifferent  to  affairs 
in  Manchuria.  He  was  watching  the  course  of  events 
there,  and  he  probably  worried  and  grieved  as  much 
as  even  the  Empress  Dowager,  about  what  might  be 
the  result  for  China.  He  had  probably  schooled  him- 
self to  appear  indifferent.  The  ceremonies  and  festi- 
vals at  the  Palace  had  been  going  on  as  usual,  but  the 
two  central  figures  of  all  these  functions  had  their  own 
secret  anxieties  and  cares.  The  Emperor  was  follow- 
ing the  campaign  in  Manchuria,  and  the  Empress 
Dowager  was  probably  planning  and  thinking  of  the 
best  course  for  China  to  follow. 

In  May,  the  Empress  Dowager  had  another  Garden 
Party  for  the  ladies  of  the  Legation,  at  which  she,  as 
usual,  asked  me  to  assist.  When  I  went  into  the  Au- 
dience Hall  for  this  reception,  a  few  moments  before 
the  ladies  were  to  arrive,  Her  Majesty,  after  greeting 
me  and  scanning  my  toilet,  which  was  all  in  gray 
without  any  color,  took  a  pink  peony  from  a  vase  at 

302 


Return  to  the  Summer  Palace 

hand,  and  pinned  it  on  my  dress,  saying  I  needed  a 
little  color.  I  had  just  finished  the  largest  of  the  other 
three  portraits  I  had  painted  at  the  Summer  Palace, 
and  Her  Majesty  told  me  she  liked  it  so  much  that  she 
had  decided  to  show  it  to  the  foreign  ladies  at  this 
Garden  Party.  As  I  had  heard  nothing  of  this  plan 
before  leaving  my  studio  that  morning,  I  had  made 
no  preparations  for  it.  The  picture  was  on  my  easel, 
unframed,  and  I  told  her  I  would  prefer  it  to  be  placed 
in  its  frame,  before  it  was  shown.  This  frame,  de- 
signed also  by  the  Empress  Dowager,  and  made  by 
the  Palace  workmen,  was  a  magnificent  piece  of  work, 
elaborately  carved  and  beautiful  in  form.  It  was  in 
the  natural  color  of  teak-wood,  and  this  quiet  tone 
admirably  set  off  the  vivid  color  of  the  gown  and 
accessories,  and  was  a  great  improvement  to  the 
picture.  When  she  heard  what  were  my  wishes  on 
the  subject,  Her  Majesty  said  she  would  see  that  the 
picture  was  placed  in  the  frame,  and  it  was  arranged 
that  as  soon  as  I  had  finished  my  luncheon,  I  would 
return  to  the  studio  and  overlook  things  myself, 
and  arrange  the  portrait  as  I  wished. 

The  Audience  passed  off  as  usual.  Immediately 
after  luncheon  the  ladies  were  invited  to  go  to  the 
studio  to  see  the  portrait.  The  Empress  Dowager  had 
evidently  forgotten  about  my  wish  to  go  there  first, 
and  as  she  herself,  contrary  to  all  precedent,  led  the 
way,  followed  by  the  ladies,  I  could  not,  of  course, 
precede  her.  I  had  not  thought  that  she  would 
make  such  an  innovation  as  to,  herself,  accompany 
the  ladies  to  the  studio.  I  felt  greatly  honored,  but 
I  feared  the  eunuchs  had  not  arranged  things  as  they 

303 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

should  be,  and  knew  I  could  do  nothing  with  Her 
Majesty  present,  and  what  was  my  chagrin  on  reach- 
ing the  hall  in  the  wake  of  the  Empress  Dowager  and 
the  ladies,  to  find  that  the  portrait,  though  placed  in 
the  frame  as  I  had  desired,  was  in  the  center  of  the 
narrow  hall,  and  every  window  on  both  sides  had 
been  opened  to  its  widest  extent,  and  the  light  came 
in  from  all  sides !  I  had  shut  off  all  the  lights  of  this 
hall,  except  the  double  windows  to  the  north,  where  I 
had  the  upper  glasses  put  in,  and  this  is  where  the 
picture  should  have  been  placed,  but  as  Her  Majesty's 
Throne  always  occupies  the  center  of  the  Throne- 
rooms,  the  eunuchs  evidently  thought  that  was  the 
proper  place  for  her  portrait  when  on  exhibition. 
As  the  halls  are  narrow  in  proportion  to  their  length, 
no  one  could  get  further  off  than  four  feet  from  this 
life-size  portrait.  This,  added  to  the  cross-lights, 
was  heartrending.  I  was  in  despair.  Her  Majesty's 
presence  prevented  my  ordering  the  eunuchs  to 
change  the  position  of  the  portrait,  and,  besides, 
every  one  had  already  seen  it !  The  ladies,  who 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  express  their  admiration 
in  the  presence  of  both  the  August  Subject  and  the 
artist,  duly  praised  the  portrait.  Her  Majesty,  who 
knew  how  it  looked  in  its  proper  light,  and  who 
only  glanced  at  it  here,  did  not  realize  at  what  a  dis- 
advantage it  appeared,  and  was  perfectly  satisfied  with 
the  effect. 

An  amusing  little  incident  took  place  while  the 
ladies  were  looking  at  it.  The  Empress  Dowager,  in 
her  cursory  examination  in  this  light,  noticed  a  part  of 
the  trimming  of  the  gown  where  the  design  was  not 

3°4 


THE  PORTRAIT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  DOWAGER   IN   ITS  FRAME 

This  Frame  is  Made  of  Camphor-wood  Carved  in  the  Palace  after  the 
Empress's  own  Designs  and  under  Her  Direction 


Return  to  the  Summer  Palace 

well  worked  out.  She  came  up  to  me,  as  I  stood  in 
a  group  of  ladies,  and  pointed  out  the  defect.  She 
took  my  hand  in  hers,  and  said  in  an  almost  pleading 
way,  "There  is  a  bit  of  trimming  that  is  not  well 
finished.  You  will  arrange  it  for  me,  will  you  not, 
Ker-Gunia  ? "  She  did  not  believe  in  leaving  anything 
to  the  imagination,  and  wished  every  detail  fully 
worked  out! 

This  portrait  was  very  successfully  photographed, 
and  Her  Majesty  concluded  she  liked  it  much  better 
than  the  one  which  had  been  sent  to  St.  Louis.  She 
said  it  would  make  me  "famous."  But  when  I  thought 
of  how  I  might  have  painted  this  wonderfully  in- 
teresting woman  in  the  unique  setting  in  which  she 
was  placed,  I  realized  that  "it  might  have  been"  are 
really  the  "saddest  words  of  tongue  or  pen." 

The  precedent  having  been  established,  the  idea  of 
a  representation  of  the  Sacred  Person  of  a  Chinese 
Majesty  being  seen  by  the  world  having  been  ac- 
cepted, the  painting  of  Her  Majesty's  first  portrait  not 
having  been  followed  by  the  dire  results  that  the 
Chinese  had  prophesied,  the  traditional  prejudice 
was  overcome,  and  when  she  saw  how  quickly  the 
photograph  was  made  of  the  portrait,  and  how  satis- 
factory it  was,  she  decided  she  would  have  the  pho- 
tographer try  one  of  herself,  and  she  was  not  one  to 
stop  at  a  single  trial.  After  waiting  sixty-eight  years  v 
to  see  a  counterfeit  presentment  of  herself,  I  know 
she  will  now  indulge  this  new  fantasy  of  hers  to  its 
fullest  extent,  and  perhaps  some  other  artist  may  at 
some  time  paint  her  according  to  western  ideas,  and 
represent  her  attractive  personality  in  its  best  setting. 

305 


With  the  Empress  Dowager 

But  there  must  always  be  a  pioneer,  and  he  it  is  who 
suffers  the  hardships  and  makes  the  way  clear  for 
others,  which  must  be  my  solace  and  consolation  for 
not  being  able  to  paint  her  as  I  should  have  liked. 
The  Empress  Dowager  " consented"  to  have  a  por- 
trait of  herself  painted.  Before  I  finished  the  first 
one  she  told  me  she  wanted  "  many,"  and  suggested 
my  passing  the  rest  of  my  life  out  in  Peking.  I 
painted  four.  Who  will  do  the  others  ? 

I  felt  I  could  not  go  on  forever  painting  portraits, 
according  to  Chinese  traditions,  of  the  Empress 
Dowager.  I  could  not  spend  my  life  in  this  dalliance 
with  Oriental  splendor.  The  world  beyond  the  Palace 
gates  called  me.  I  hurried  to  finish  my  task.  The 
last  portrait  was  nearing  completion.  My  sojourn  at 
the  Palace  was  drawing  to  a  close.  Though  I  longed 
to  be  where  I  might  paint  in  a  freer  way,  I  looked 
forward  with  real  regret  to  leaving  the  Palace,  and  es- 
pecially to  leaving  the  Empress  Dowager  and  the  young 
Empress,  for  I  had  come  to  really  love  them.  I  found 
Her  Majesty  by  far  the  most  fascinating  personality 
it  had  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  study  at  such 
close  range.  The  young  Empress  was  a  sweet,  kind 
nature,  full  of  dignity  and  pathos,  for  whom  I  prayed 
there  might  be  greater  happiness  in  store  than  had 
yet  fallen  to  her  lot.  My  sojourn  at  the  Palaces  of 
Her  Imperial  Majesty  the  Empress  Dowager  of  China, 
my  association  with  herself  and  the  Ladies  of  her 
Court,  I  shall  always  remember  as  one  of  the  most 
charming  experiences  of  my  life. 


306 


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